NEW DELHI : The Capital witnessed heavy traffic congestion across several key corridors on Thursday evening, with commuters taking to social media to flag hour-long delays, non-functional traffic signals and absence of traffic personnel at busy intersections.
Traffic police said an event at Bharat Mandapam, wedding rush and India Art Fair underway at the NSIC Grounds led to the congestion.
Many tagged Delhi Traffic Police complaining of gridlocks from Okhla flyover to Kalkaji Temple flyover, Nehru Place flyover to Modi Mill, Greater Kailash, and prolonged stoppages near Eros Hotel. One of the commuters said a stretch, barely one kilometre long, took over an hour to cross.
Another reported being stuck at a red light for one hour due to malfunctioning signals and no traffic police on site. Delhi Traffic Police said that “staff concerned had been informed”.
A senior Delhi Police officer said the congestion was a result of major events and seasonal travel. “Traffic movement has been significantly impacted due to the Plast India exhibition at Bharat Mandapam, wedding season and the India Art Fair,” the officer said.
The officer added that traffic personnel had been deployed in some of the affected areas and signal faults were being addressed. “We are monitoring choke points in real time and diverting traffic wherever possible to ease congestion,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The officer added that traffic personnel had been deployed in some of the affected areas and signal faults were being addressed. “We are monitoring choke points in real time and diverting traffic wherever possible to ease congestion,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Commuters, however, expressed frustration over inadequate on-ground management during peak hours.
Several social media users urged authorities to provide prior advisories during large-scale events. “If the traffic was anticipated, why no advisory was issued” a commuter wrote.
The officer said that commuters are advised to use navigation apps for live updates, and allow extra travel time as congestion is expected to persist throughout the week.