Checks at Delhi lead to traffic pile-up

Commuters returning to the capital after 10 pm on Wednesday were stuck in a traffic jam that extended for around two kilometres from the Sirhaul toll plaza on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, as Delhi Police started checks due to the night curfew imposed in the capital from 10 pm to 5 am to curb the rise in Covid-19 infections

Commuters returning to the capital after 10 pm on Wednesday were stuck in a traffic jam that extended for around two kilometres from the Sirhaul toll plaza on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, as Delhi Police started checks due to the night curfew imposed in the capital from 10 pm to 5 am to curb the rise in Covid-19 infections. A similar situation was witnessed on Thursday night as vehicles lined up for a kilometre by 10.30pm

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Gurugram police officials said they received more than 60 distress calls at their control room from commuters who were stuck in a jam after 10 pm.

Dinesh Kumar, who commutes to Gurugram from Delhi’s Uttam Nagar every day, said, “Only one lane was operational due to which only one vehicle could pass through the barricade at a time, resulting in a jam. The journey from Gurugram to Delhi has become exhausting.”

Kumar called on the police to make arrangements for daily commuters and ensure their smooth passage.

Although there were no restrictions on traffic movement on the expressway on Tuesday night, when the night curfew in Delhi was announced, barricades were placed on the Delhi side on Wednesday. Inspector Balbir Sjngh of Delhi Police said that on Wednesday 44 challans were issued for mask rule violations.

More than 15 police personnel were seen checking vehicles and enquiring commuters’ reasons for entering Delhi. Only one vehicle was allowed to cross the barricade at a time, which, coupled with the entry of heavy vehicles, worsened the situation and led to the traffic pile-up.

However, the situation on the other carriageway, leading from Delhi to Gurugram, was relatively better as the city, unlike Delhi and Uttar Pradesh’s NCR cities, does not have a curfew in place.

Teams of the Gurugram police, however, continued to periodically check vehicles between 10 pm and 5 am.

Karan Goel, the assistant commissioner of police, DLF, said that they have not received any communication from Delhi Police regarding the night curfew or restrictions on traffic movement. “We have deployed five police control room vans and 10 bikes at strategic points of the national highway to ensure smooth traffic flow on the main carriageway. We are only checking suspicious vehicles,” he said.

A Delhi resident who works in the city said that the Delhi Police should either ask the companies to ensure they relieve their staff by 9 pm, so that they do not have to face inconvenience, or mark a designated lane for daily commuters. “It took 40 minutes to cross a one-kilometre stretch as heavy vehicles were also using the same lane, leading to snarls. Drivers of commercial vehicles were seen taking an extreme right to avoid paying toll tax, which was also a reason for the congestion, as the toll plaza staff was chasing and penalising them,” said Bikram Kapoor, who works in Udyog Vihar.

The border routes connecting the neighbouring state of Rajasthan and districts of Rewari, Jhajjar and Nuh were not affected at night, said police.

Goel said three police teams were deployed at Sirhaul toll on Thursday to regulate vehicular movement.