Festive rush floods city roads, traffic cops gear up

New Delhi: With pollution restrictions on non-compliant vehicles affecting movement at the borders and shoppers adding to the regular rush ahead of Diwali, Delhi Traffic Police is facing a double test. Anticipating a surge in pedestrian and vehicular movement over the next few days, it has put the city’s major shopping districts and public transport hubs on the priority list.

Last-minute purchases have already pushed traffic volumes up around major markets — Sarojini Nagar, South Extension, Lajpat Nagar, Karol Bagh, Kamla Nagar, Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar and Rajouri Garden — choking several stretches with vehicles and commuters crawling through long queues. Congestion is also being reported around Kashmere Gate, Hauz Khas and Defence Colony.

The Barapullah corridor, particularly the stretch between AIIMS and Sarai Kale Khan, has emerged as another pressure point, with commuters reporting prolonged delays.

The festive rush, combined with the regular evening peak-hour traffic, put several arterial roads under pressure Wednesday. Around 4pm, commuters were stuck for nearly one-and-a-half hours while going to central Noida from central Delhi, a journey that usually takes around 40 minutes. Mathura Road and ITO also witnessed heavy congestion.