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G20 Summit: Rehearsal for carcades leads to major traffic snarls in Delhi
Thirty carcades plied between 9amand 12.30pm, causing heavy traffic congestion. The fleet took the same route that the G20 guests will go through
Roads were jam packed for hours and commuters faced delays as a fleet of 240 high-security cars moved on the Capital’s arterial roads on Sunday for the full rehearsal of guarding the carcades of heads of State, senior officials, and dignitaries that will arrive for the G20 Summit in less than two weeks.
Thirty carcades plied between 9amand 12.30pm, causing heavy traffic congestion on several stretches, including Sardar Patel Marg-Panchsheel Marg, 11 Murti, round about Teen Murti, Barakhamba Road, Janpath-Kartavyapath, Vivekanand Marg, under Lodhi Flyover, Shanti Van Chowk, Joseph Tito Marg-Siri Fort Road, Press Enclave Road- Lal Bahadur Shashtri Marg, C-Hexagon, Mathura Road and Saleem Garh Bypass. Preparations for the carcades began at 8am, officers said.
The fleet took the same route that the G20 guests will go through on the Summit days to go to and from Bharat Mandapam, the main venue for the event, officials said.
To be sure, measures have already been taken to avoid similar inconvenience to the general public at the time, in the form of traffic restrictions and closure of municipal, state-run, and non-essential private offices in Delhi from September 8-10. Markets and banks in the New Delhi police district will also be closed during the summit, and some Metro stations may be closed for security reasons.
However, traffic police officers said that the key stretches will be congested for few days, as the rehearsals will be conducted every alternate day between 9am and 12.30pm.
Motorists will be warned in advance, they added.
A senior Delhi Traffic Police officer said that a full carcade rehearsal consists of a fleet of 30 carcades.
“It will be representing 27 participating countries and three international organisations. There are 12 cars (two as the guest’s cars and remaining of the security and official staff’s vehicles) in one carcade. These carcades followed the same route on Sunday as decided for September 10, which will be the concluding day of the G20 Summit. The dignitaries will come to summit’s main venue at Bhaerat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan from the places of stay. They will also go to Rajghat later in the day, to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi,” the official said, asking not to be named. “The rehearsals will take place at least on every alternate day before the Summit.”
For Sunday’s rehearsal too, officers said that they had alerted commuters to avoid the roads coming under the stretch of carcade rehearsal.
“Commuters might experience congestion on these roads and junctions. Motorists are requested to have patience, observe traffic rules & road discipline and follow directions of Traffic Police personnel deployed at all intersections. People are also requested to plan their journey in advance with sufficient time at hand to avoid inconvenience,” the traffic police wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Travel and access to the national capital during the G20 Summit days will be severely restricted, particularly in the New Delhi district — also known as the Lutyens’ Zone — where only residents and those in essential services jobs will be allowed to enter after producing a legitimate identity. The strictest restrictions will be in force on the final two days.
Surender Singh Yadav, special commissioner of police (traffic), said that the restrictions have been divided into controlled and regulated zones. “While New Delhi district has been classified as Controlled Zone 1, certain other stretches — such as the Vikas Marg leading to ITO, roads near the Red Fort, and the vicinity of the city’s two main train stations -- close to the venue have been clubbed into Controlled Zone 2. The Regulated Zone will apply to all areas within the Ring Road,” he said.
He, however, said that there will be no impact of these restrictions on ambulance movement or essential services. “Since buses will not be allowed to ply between the midnights of September 7 and September 10, people are advised to use the Metro. Beginning September 9, 5am, only residents, authorised vehicles, and essential services providers will be allowed to enter Controlled Zone 1 and they will need to show relevant documents,” he added.