Gurgaon: Route changes at Sirhal toll puzzle commuters, hit traffic

While motorists complain that they had trouble navigating through the toll for want of proper signage, the traffic police says the ride will get smoother once they become familiar with the changes

There was complete chaos at the Sirhaul toll plaza on Monday, as route diversions put in place by authorities on a trial basis the day before, led to confusion among commuters. Commuters were baffled by the jersey barriers obstructing the paths that they usually take to reach their destinations.

The route diversions hit traffic movement at the Sirhaul toll on Monday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Most commuters passing through the area said that traffic congestion remained the same, and, if anything, got worse, on Monday evening, during peak hours, despite the changes enforced by the authorities.

Only those who use the carriageway on the right, which is meant for non-commercial vehicles travelling towards New Delhi after descending from the Shankar Chowk flyover, or the one on the left, meant for vehicles travelling towards Rajokri, Kapasehra, DLF Phase 3 and the Ambience Island, claimed to have had a marginally easier ride than before on the day.

For those travelling on the other two carriageways, located in the middle of the toll plaza and meant for use by non- commercial vehicles travelling from Cyber City towards New Delhi as well as commercial vehicles merging with the traffic after toll clearance, the journey through the stretch took nearly an hour during peak commuting hours in the evening.

Despite the Delhi traffic police issuing advisories and informing residents about the changes at the Sirhaul toll plaza, several commuters also complained about the ‘confusing’ signage, which caused them to inadvertently take a longer route to reach their destinations.

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“I was travelling towards the Ambience Mall and was on the carriageway on the right, assuming that I could take the cut ahead of the MCD toll to take the Rajokri exit. However, the jersey barriers blocked my path and, as a result, I had to travel till the Dwarka-Kapasehra exit for heading back towards Gurgaon,” Anaita Kaul, a resident of DLF Phase 4, said.

While the commuters opting for the carriageway on the left had an easier ride than before, those travelling from Shankar Chowk and needing to switch to this carriageway after taking the flyover, said they feared a collision with vehicles coming from the Cyber City side.

“After descending from the Shankar Chowk flyover, I drove towards the carriageway on the extreme left. However, I had to move with great precision, as I needed to cross over and also evade the traffic coming at high speed from Cyber City. In future, I will drive below the Shankar Chowk flyover, as it will allow me to merge with this traffic much earlier and will be a safer commuting option,” Shashwat Verma, a resident of Kapasehra, said.

Traffic police said that the changes have been enforced on a trial basis and commuters will experience an easier ride once they are aware of and familiar with the changes.

“Traffic congestion at the toll in the evening was largely caused due to traffic hurdles on the New Delhi side ahead of the Rajokri flyover. It led to a traffic backlog. However, we expect the commuters to have an easier ride once they are accustomed to the route diversions in the next few days,” Hira Singh, ACP (traffic), said.