Traffic violators add to chaos at e-way service lane near Ambience Mall in Gurgaon

Cabs and autorickshaws opt for veering onto wrong-way driving at the service lane to reach Ambience Mall in Gurgaon to avoid heavy traffic at toll plaza and save an additional drive of four kms; opening of a one-way underpass near Cyber City metro station has aggravated traffic congestion

For motorists entering Gurgaon from New Delhi, accessing the service lane of Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway near Sirhaul toll plaza is a painful ordeal as they have to navigate through vehicles steering onto wrong-way driving that is leading to accidents and traffic mess on the stretch.

Traffic jams are regular on Gurgaon streets. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Traffic violators, mainly cabs and autorickshaws, opt for veering onto wrong-way driving at the service lane to reach Ambience Mall instead of taking a U-turn below Rajokri flyover to avoid heavy traffic at the toll plaza and save an additional drive of four kms.

The chaos though has further aggravated with the recent opening of a one-way underpass near Cyber City metro station in April that takes commuters directly towards IFFCO Chowk.

The underpass is located in close proximity to the road leading from DLF Phase 3 towards the service lane. Private taxis, autorickshaw drivers, non-commercial vehicles use the DLF Phase 3 road and turn right towards the service lane and veer onto wrong-way driving for one-kilometre to reach Ambience Mall.

However, the three-lane road is already barricaded at most stretches for letting vehicles access either the underpass, head towards Cyber City or for making a U-turn below the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway flyover for heading towards New Delhi.

The gravity of the situation escalates during peak hours when vehicles coming from New Delhi and those heading towards Ambience Mall face head-on, leaving little space for traffic to move.

“Prior to the construction of the underpass, there was enough road-width for vehicles to pass through and navigate through the madness. Now, owing to narrowed space due to barricading it is nearly impossible to find a way through converging traffic. It remains inexplicable that traffic police are nowhere to be seen,” Abhishek Dayal, a resident of Nirvana Country said.

Traffic police officials said they have been regularly penalising violators and the issue is temporary.

“Challan drives are been carried out throughout the city which also covers the road leading from Ambience Mall towards Cyber City. Once violators are aware of police presence the traffic chaos will subside automatically,” spokesperson of traffic police said.