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Spectators in Lucknow leave stadium to struggle with traffic woes
Spectators faced traffic snarls on their way to the stadium earlier in the day as well. The mad rush to the much-awaited match continued well into the afternoon and the first couple of hours of the first innings.
LUCKNOW: Traffic came to a standstill after the match got over at around 9:30 pm at Ekana Stadium here on Shaheed Path.
While many started coming out even before the match concluded, most waited till the end.
“I am stuck here for the past 30 minutes and the parking lot is overcrowded,” said Pranjal Sisodia, a spectator. “Everyone started leaving at the same time, creating a mad rush at the exits and the parking area. So, all roads leading to Shaheed Path are choc-a-block. I’m taking an alternative route from Arjunganj to reach home,” he added. Several spectators complained of being stuck for the first hour or so after the match concluded.
“We took the service lane along Shaheed Path. While the traffic is moving, it is quite slow,” claimed another spectator Tanishq.
About 1000 cars parked in a nearby mall designated by Lucknow Police also started coming out, creating a bottleneck at Ahimamau crossing and underpass.
Snarls in the daytime too
Spectators faced traffic snarls on their way to the stadium earlier in the day as well. The mad rush to the much-awaited match continued well into the afternoon and the first couple of hours of the first innings.
Latecomers stuck in traffic on Shaheed Path had abandoned their cars and taken off on foot, as the traffic on the flyover had been bottlenecked by 2:30 PM, despite substantial police deployed to manage it. The snags were occasionally caused by VIP vehicles being directed to move against the flow of traffic on the flyover.
This came amid approximately 3800 police personnel being deployed by Lucknow Police with 8 SPs, 14 ASPs, and 35 CO rank officers among others. While the traffic police tweeted drone shot images of smooth flowing traffic, the hordes of two-wheelers and four wheelers in the vicinity of the stadium were clearly a challenge to tackle.
Cars coming out of the service lanes near the SSB Colony along Shaheed Path were also moving at a snail’s pace due to the sheer number of vehicles on the streets at the time. Several senior police officers had to step down on the road to clear the traffic.
While the traffic cleared up on the main streets leading towards the stadium parking areas, the scene on Shaheed Path was far different, as it was being used not only by match-goers but by citizens going about their regular day’s business as well.
