Traffic chaos continues at city borders

The Singhu and Tikri borders were on Saturday shut for traffic for the second consecutive day due to the farmers’ protests. Motorists commuting between Delhi and Haryana faced massive disruptions even as the traffic police said that the situation was better than Friday due to awareness among commuters about the restrictions.

Traffic police made a host of diversions and deployed its personnel along the affected routes.

However, a large number of labourers and workers who were moving between Delhi and Haryana through the two borders for either work or for other reasons were still seen struggling. Scores of them were seen carrying their luggage on their heads and backs and walking across both the borders in the absence of any public transport.

Chand Pal, a physically disabled man, said he had arrived from his hometown in Madhya Pradesh, landed at Anand Vihar, but had to walk near the border with luggage on his back. “I work in a factory in Bhiwani. I need to enter Haryana anyhow and catch a bus from where ever I can because there is no public transport at the Delhi Border,” Pal said at the Tikri Border after having to walk nearly a km using crutches and more thereafter.

Traffic police on Saturday used their Twitter handle to list a host of other border points where people could enter Haryana from Delhi. These included Jharoda, Dhansa, Rajokri, Bijwasan, Dundahera, Badarpur, Palam Vihar and Daurala.

And yet, a large number of motorists were confused about the borders they could access. They tweeted to the Delhi Traffic Police for status updates and in response were asked to dial the traffic helpline for the latest
status.

Taj Hassan, special commissioner of traffic police, however, said that the updates were being relayed correctly on its social media handles.

Otherwise, the officer said that the traffic situation on Saturday was much more relaxed than on Friday. “Most motorists did not head towards the two borders as they were better informed of the situation on Saturday. Only the locals travelled in those areas and they were aware of the alternative routes,” said Hassan.

Hassan said while the traffic movement at other border points in the city could be slower than usual due to checks, there was no major impact elsewhere.

On Friday, the police also closed two other border roads — at Dhansa and Jharoda Kalan — for traffic as a precautionary measure even through there were no protesters there.

Santosh Meena, DCP (Dwarka), said that while Dhansa Border was opened for traffic on Friday evening, the Jharoda Kalan Border was opened only for traffic towards Haryana. “The incoming traffic at Jharoda Kalan is open only for emergency traffic,” said the DCP.

The Jharoda Kalan Border has remained partially closed as many farmers wanting to entering Delhi pass by on a Haryana road that is close to the border.

Through Saturday, the traffic police diverted traffic from Mukarba Chowk and GT Karnal Road and did not allow any traffic movement from Outer Ring Road or Azadpur towards Singhu Border. In one of its tweet alerts, the traffic police termed the traffic at Mukarba Chowk and GTK Road as “very very heavy”.

They advised motorists to avoid Outer Ring Road from Signature Bridge to Rohini and vice-versa, the GTK Road and NH-44.