E-Paper
Traffic chaos grips Lucknow on New Year’s day
New Year's Day 2025 in Lucknow saw severe traffic jams, with major roads clogged and ambulances stuck for hours, despite police traffic management efforts.
The first day of 2025 began with massive traffic jams as vehicles crawled at a snail’s pace across the state capital, causing chaos on almost all major roads.
Residents stepping out to visit parks, malls, and other popular destinations faced significant delays due to hours-long traffic snarls. The situation was especially dire in Old Lucknow, with roads from Buddha Park to Dakhin Mukhi Hanuman Temple, Teele Wali Masjid, and Daliganj being jam-packed. An ambulance reportedly remained stuck for two hours near the Imambara, according to locals.
A two-kilometer-long jam stretched between Rumi Gate and Ghantaghar, with traffic personnel working tirelessly to clear the congestion. Similarly, roads from the Civil Hospital to the Zoo and Swasthya Bhawan Square were clogged. A one-and-a-half-kilometer jam was also reported between Hazratganj and Daliganj.
In Faizabad, the situation was equally challenging, with traffic gridlocks extending from Polytechnic Crossing to Matiyari Crossing. Major intersections along this route, including Chinhat and Kamta, were severely affected.
Despite the Lucknow police’s detailed arrangements for parking and traffic diversions to manage the New Year’s Day rush, the sheer volume of vehicles overwhelmed the system.
Anticipating large crowds at malls and key spots like Hazratganj, the Lucknow Traffic Department had devised a comprehensive plan. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Prabal Pratap Singh, had outlined the measures, comparing them to arrangements made during major events like cricket matches. Traffic diversions and special arrangements were implemented at major malls to prevent such chaos, but the unprecedented turnout proved difficult to handle.
