20% increase in traffic on Monday, congestion limited to police pickets

Traffic hold-ups were limited to peak hours around pickets where barricades were set up by the police to check documents and identity cards, officials said.

Traffic on Delhi’s roads on Monday increased by around 20% over previous days but did not lead to any major congestion, traffic police said.

Traffic moving slowly as Delhi Police and traffic personnel screen commuters at Yamuna Flyover on Vikas Marg in New Delhi Monday. (Raj K Raj/HT File Photo)

Monday marked the start of the phased two-week-long exit from the lockdown, with many offices and businesses opening with up to a third of their staff, and movement of people and vehicles being allowed between 7 am and 7 pm.

Traffic hold-ups were limited to peak hours around pickets where barricades were set up by the police to check documents and identity cards, officials said.

By Monday evening, the traffic police helpline received just one call regarding a traffic jam in North Delhi. “A traffic hold-up was caused in the afternoon around 2:30 pm because police personnel were checking documents and passes of commuters near barricades placed on Lawrence Road. The traffic police in the area were informed and they ensured the congestion was eased,” a traffic police officer said.

The traffic police also received one complaint about a minor snarl near Uttam Nagar on Najafgarh Road on micro-blogging siteTwitter.

Taj Hassan, special commissioner, Delhi Traffic Police, said ”all congestions were limited to peak traffic hours in the morning and they eased out by the afternoon.”

Hassan said no deployment of traffic personnel was required on the roads. “An increase of around 20% in vehicle volume was recorded on the roads, and this increase didn’t really make much difference. Since all areas in Delhi are in the ‘red zone’, we didn’t expect any traffic challenges on Monday.” said Hassan.

Thus far during the lockdown, according to a second police officer who asked not to be identified, the traffic has been 10-15% of what it usually is.

Starting Monday, domestic help, people providing laundry services, and electricians and plumbers were also allowed to work.

Hassan said the traffic doesn’t warrant turning on all traffic lights; many are currently in blinker mode. “We are reviewing the situation, and will turn them into active mode if more vehicles ply on the roads.”

A deputy commissioner of police, who did not wish to be identified, said that from Tuesday, checking norms will be eased at some junctions to avoid bottlenecks. “At some checkpoints, we were diverting all traffic to one carriageway to save manpower. We were opening just one lane for vehicles to pass through these points. From Tuesday, we’ll change this arrangement and open other lanes in the morning and evening to prevent congestion .”

The traffic police will not issue fines to violators physically. “Our speed detection cameras will continue issuing fines to speeding motorists. The average speed of vehicles is expected to decrease once the number of vehicles on the roads goes up,” Hassan said.

In the first 35 days of the lockdown, from March 23 to April 26, more than 5.07 lakh motorists were caught speeding by the speed detection cameras across the city. It was not yet known as to how many people were challaned on Monday as the police don’t share daily updates. No reports of any accidents also emerged. till late in the night