Ludhiana: Traffic chaos grips city on New Year’s eve

Major overbridges and elevated roads were seen clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic, while internal roads, including Jawahar Nagar Camp, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Sarabha Nagar, Partap Chowk, Samrala Chowk, Cheema Chowk and Ferozepur Road, were rendered nearly impassable.

The city witnessed massive traffic jams on the eve of New Year, leaving commuters stranded for hours on Tuesday. The much-anticipated musical concert of Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh added to the chaos as thousands of vehicles choked the main roads, overbridges and internal streets from 5 pm onwards.

The situation was same on most of the roads in Ludhiana in the evening hours of Tuesday. (Manish/HT)

Major overbridges and elevated roads were seen clogged with bumper-to-bumper traffic, while internal roads, including Jawahar Nagar Camp, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Sarabha Nagar, Partap Chowk, Samrala Chowk, Cheema Chowk and Ferozepur Road, were rendered nearly impassable. The sheer volume of vehicles brought traffic to a standstill, causing immense inconvenience to residents.

Adding to the woes, multiple U-turns along Ferozepur Road were blocked, forcing commuters to take longer routes to reach their destinations. Many reported spending hours navigating detours, exacerbating frustrations on a night that is typically marked by celebration.

“Reaching home felt like an ordeal. I had to take a 5-kilometer detour because of blocked cuts and even then I was stuck in traffic for nearly two hours,” said Jasmeen Kaur, a resident of Sarabha Nagar.

Traffic snarls also affected emergency services with ambulances and police vehicles struggling to navigate through the gridlock.

The concert, which drew massive crowds from within and outside the city, appeared to be the primary cause of the congestion. The event’s organisers had reportedly arranged for parking at specific venues, but the sheer influx of vehicles overwhelmed these arrangements, spilling traffic onto main thoroughfares and internal roads alike.

Authorities claimed that additional police personnel were deployed to manage the situation, but their efforts fell short in the face of the overwhelming vehicular movement.

Residents have called for a better traffic management during large-scale events to prevent such situations in the future. “While we understand the enthusiasm for celebrations, the lack of proper planning has caused undue stress for thousands. Authorities must take measures to ensure smoother traffic flow in such scenarios,” said Navraj, a local commuter.

Despite repeated attempts, commissioner of police Kuldeep Chahal was not available for comments.