Christmas 2024: Delhi sees heavy traffic, diversions as holiday celebrations draw crowd | Details

Christmas: Key areas such as Vikas Marg near the V3S Mall, Saket, and GT Karnal Road in Northwest Delhi were particularly congested, PTI reported.

Published on: Dec 25, 2024, 23:10:22 IST

By HT News Desk

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Delhi on Wednesday witnessed heavy traffic congestion at various locations across the national capital as residents and visitors flocked to markets and churches to celebrate the Christmas day.

Delhi Christmas congestion: A commuter said Select City Walk in south Delhi also had a lot of traffic. (Hindustan Times)

Key areas such as Vikas Marg near the V3S Mall in East Delhi, Saket in South Delhi, and GT Karnal Road in Northwest Delhi were particularly congested, PTI reported.

Abhishek Singh, a resident of east Delhi told PTI, “There was heavy traffic on Vikas Marg near the V3S mall. There was no police personnel deployed in the area when I was passing through the stretch.”

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Another commuter said Select City Walk in south Delhi also had a lot of traffic.

Ashoka Road in central Delhi also experienced significant traffic delays, though the rest of the district saw relatively smooth movement, according to a senior police officer.

Delhi traffic diversions

Churches across the city, such as the Sacred Heart Cathedral, St Thomas Church (Mandir Marg), St. Martin’s Church (Delhi Cantonment), St Thomas Church (R K Puram), and St Mary’s Knanaya Church (Vasant Kunj), are expecting large gatherings of devotees.

To accommodate the influx of visitors, traffic will be diverted around these locations as needed.

Delhi police deploy additional officers to control traffic

Because of the Christmas and holiday rush, the Delhi Police on Wednesday deployed additional personnel around especially churches, shopping malls, and market areas.

However, some commuters reported a lack of police presence in certain spots. "There was no police personnel deployed in the area when I was passing through the stretch," said a Delhi resident.

Ahead of the Christmas celebrations, the Delhi Police had taken proactive measures, stating they had made “adequate” arrangements to handle potential disruptions, including the possibility of rowdy behaviour.

A special drive against drunk driving is also set to continue from Christmas to New Year to prevent any road accidents during the holiday season.

(With PTI inputs)

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HT News Desk
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