Heavy traffic at Delhi borders over Republic Day restrictions

Commuters travelling from Gurugram to Delhi on NH-48 on Wednesday evening faced additional snarls after a vehicle caught fire on the carriageway near Shiv Murti

Traffic slowed to crawl at the Capital’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday as the Delhi Police began intensifying checks across the city as part of security measures for the upcoming Republic Day.

R-Day traffic restrictions in Gurugram triggered a long traffic jam on Delhi-Gurugram expressway on Wednesday evening. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

“To strengthen security measures for the upcoming Republic Day, checking is being done at various places by Delhi Police teams to curb any suspicious activities. Notify us immediately about any suspicious object or person,” the Delhi Police posted on its official account on X.

Commuters travelling between Delhi and NCR cities faced a harrowing time near the borders due to the security checks. “There were several delays because of slow moving traffic near the DND Flyway. My daily one-hour commute to office took almost two hours on Wednesday,” said Vipul Goyal, a resident of Sector 100 in Noida, who travels to Delhi for work.

R-Day security: Entry of heavy vehicles banned on Noida, Yamuna e-ways

According to the Delhi Traffic Police, commuters travelling from Gurugram to Delhi on NH-48 on Wednesday evening faced additional snarls after a vehicle caught fire on the carriageway near the Shiv Murti.

“Traffic is affected on NH-48 in the carriageway from Gurugram towards Mahipal Pur (Mahipalpur) due to burning of a car opposite Shiv Murti. Kindly plan your journey accordingly,” the traffic police posted on X at around 8.30pm.

Separately, the Gurugram and Gautam Budh Nagar traffic police issued advisories restricting the movement of medium and heavy goods vehicles in view of Republic Day celebrations.

In Gurugram, traffic police teams will divert heavy vehicles from Jaipur towards the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway, and the Kherki Daula toll plaza.

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Virender Vij, Gurugram’s deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said the restrictions will come into effect from 5pm on Thursday and will continue till 1.30pm on Friday. “Normal traffic movement as per routine will be allowed afterwards,” he said.

Siddhant Jain, deputy commissioner of police (south), said that drones are being deployed from security point of view to decide the vantage points, earmarking buildings where security personnel could take positions. “They are also helping us in security monitoring and topography mapping of the venue and neighbouring areas,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Gautam Budh Nagar, heavy goods vehicles will not be allowed on the Yamuna Expressway and Noida-Greater Noida Expressway from 7am on January 25 till the conclusion of the Republic Day Parade in Delhi on January 26, Noida traffic police officers said.