When Kerry was stuck like us

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s traffic spares no one, not even if you are an American dignitary visiting the country for bilateral talks. US secretary of state John Kerry experienced

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s traffic spares no one, not even if you are an American dignitary visiting the country for bilateral talks. US secretary of state John Kerry experienced on Monday evening what a Delhiite experiences after a spell of rain.

HT Image

Kerry’s motorcade was stuck in a traffic jam for over an hour, after which he was rescued by the Delhi Traffic Police.

Though officials remained tight-lipped about the movement, sources from the traffic unit said that a VIP route was set for his arrival from the airport to Chanakyapuri around 8pm.

But the motorcade could not move past the airport complex.

“There were no special orders for his movement. We had arranged for the usual VIP route, but by 9.30pm we had to send an additional force to get the convoy a clear passage,” a senior traffic official told HT.

The official agreed that the convoy was stuck in the jam for around an hour, but was rescued from the airport complex to their hotel in Chanakyapuri within 10 minutes.

Journalists, Steve Herman and Nicolas Wadhams, who were accompanying Kerry tweeted the scene of traffic jams on their route. “Additional forces called out to try to get John Kerry motorcade through Delhi traffic after more than an hour,” Herman tweeted on Monday.

Wadham’s tweet read, “John Kerry stuck in traffic like everyone else on wet New Delhi night.”

The capital received heavy rain on Monday evening. The Safdarjung observatory recorded 15.2mm rainfall and Palam 8mm. The traffic unit received over 150 complaints of traffic jams and water-logging.

ONLY PM, PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN DELEGATES GET A ‘FREE PASSAGE’

According to the VVIP movement protocol followed by Delhi Police and security agencies, only a ‘privileged lot’ get a ‘free passage’ while others are just entitled to ‘clear passage’.

Explaining the concept, a senior police officer said that only the prime minister, president and foreign delegates of the same stature are entitled for a ‘free passage’.

This means that the traffic for general public is completely stopped and routes are diverted for security reasons. However, for others, the traffic is only temporarily stopped to give VIP’s a ‘clear passage’.

“For dignitaries including the chief minister, L-G and even Union ministers, a clear passage is given in which their cars move with the cars of the civilians, but traffic is stopped temporarily, just to give their cars a clear passage. The routes in this case are not diverted and once their vehicle passes, traffic is resumed. Traffic is not stalled or diverted for this category,” a senior police officer said.

The police make special arrangements, including setting up of barricades and deployment of extra personnel during the VIP movement.

“When the VIP of z++ category move around, then proper routes are charted out and deployment is made accordingly. Police personnel and traffic staff is deployed at intersections to make sure that the passage of their vehicle is smooth. In case of the other category, PCR is deployed and traffic personnel make sure that the vehicle is given a clear passage and does not get stuck in traffic,” a police officer explained.