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Traffic jams plague Sangam city after grand IAF Air Show spectacle
Thousands of commuters, returning from Sangam and other locations after witnessing the grand air show, were stranded on the roads for several agonizing hours before finally reaching their destinations.
PRAYAGRAJ Sangam City was thrust into a state of chaos and relentless traffic jams following the remarkable Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Show on Sunday evening. Despite meticulous traffic management plans and route diversions executed by the police, the city found itself gripped by traffic turmoil.
Thousands of commuters, returning from Sangam and other locations after witnessing the grand air show, were stranded on the roads for several agonizing hours before finally reaching their destinations. Long queues of vehicles congested critical arteries such as New Yamuna Bridge, Shastri Bridge, Old Yamuna Bridge, and virtually all routes leading to or connecting with Sangam.
Similar traffic snarls plagued Jhunsi and Arail, where attendees of the Air Show found themselves ensnared in gridlock. Arail Road, Mirzapur Highway, Rewa Road on the trans-Yamuna side, and the Prayagraj-Varanasi Highway were choked with a multitude of four-wheelers, two-wheelers, e-rickshaws, and more. Particularly affected were women and children on two-wheelers, who endured the adverse effects of dust and smoke.
Despite pre-emptive traffic diversions and restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles into the city on the day of the Air Show, the situation remained dire. The police had set up barricades at various entry points and organized parking facilities, but these measures proved insufficient in averting the traffic quagmire.
In Arail, some individuals circumvented the police and barricades to navigate their vehicles along a muddy path adjacent to the riverbank. Furthermore, visitors from distant locations haphazardly parked their vehicles on Arail and connecting roads, exacerbating the traffic woes and impeding the flow of vehicles.
Although traffic police and officers were deployed at crucial intersections and entry points, they struggled to manage the situation effectively. Additionally, the absence of law enforcement personnel at certain routes and connecting roads further compounded the traffic chaos and confusion. Illegally parked vehicles and violations of traffic regulations by motorists only added to the disorder on the city’s streets.
Residents of Beniganj, including Anmol Gupta and his family, found themselves trapped in a traffic jam for over two hours before finally making their way home. Gupta commented, “We had gone to Arail on our scooter to watch the Air Show. Poor management and bikers evading diversions to reach Arail Ghat contributed to the traffic jam situation following the event.”
Sachin Verma, a resident of Kalindipuram, and his friends also endured a three-hour traffic jam before returning home from Sangam. Verma lamented, “Traffic management and restrictions faltered in the face of the massive crowd.”
The gridlock even gave rise to instances of road rage, as people engaged in disputes over minor collisions. In some locations, clashes between youths erupted amid the traffic chaos.
Amidst this tumultuous situation, a motorcycle near the Old Yamuna Bridge suddenly caught fire while a family was riding it. Panic swept through the commuters in the vicinity, but they promptly rescued the woman and two children from the blazing vehicle.
Police officials contended that they had made ample arrangements to address any traffic contingencies. The significant turnout to witness the Air Show did cause a temporary traffic bottleneck, but the police swiftly regained control of the situation, they added.
