Commuters across the national Capital found themselves grappling with significant traffic disruptions on Tuesday during peak hours due to a carcade rehearsal conducted by the Delhi Police in preparation for the forthcoming G20 Summit. Unlike the rehearsals on Saturday and Sunday, Tuesday’s rehearsal was unannounced, although smaller in scale, and caught motorists by surprise.
Earlier in the day, authorities had issued a notice informing Delhiites that traffic conditions were likely to be impacted in various parts of New Delhi until 2 PM, and they advised commuters to plan their journeys accordingly. Commuters from Gurugram also faced traffic jams on several stretches.
“Due to carcade rehearsal and special traffic arrangements, some congestion is expected on Bhairon Marg, Bhairon Road, Ring Road, Mathura Road, C-Hexagon, Sardar Patel Marg and Gurgaon Road till 2 PM. Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly,” the traffic police said in a post on X.
Outer Ring Road near Indraprastha Park, C-Hexagon and Sardar Patel Marg were among the other road stretches that saw congestion on Tuesday.
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj targeted Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena over the traffic congestion in the city.
“I don’t understand what Delhi Traffic Police has done, Delhi people are facing traffic jams everywhere. This police function was the only thing which LG saab had to handle, but it’s causing lot of inconvenience to common people of Delhi (sic),” he wrote on X.
Ankita Singh, who was travelling from Noida to New Delhi, said traffic on the Outer Ring Road stretch near Indraprastha was heavier than usual and Vikas Marg was also congested. It took Singh around one hour to reach her destination, which usually takes her around half an hour.
The commuters travelling from Gurugram to Delhi could face traffic snarls through Tuesday due to the carpeting work being carried out on stretches of the road between Delhi airport and New Delhi district in preparation to welcome guests for the G20 Summit. “Carpeting work is being carried out on some stretches of the road between the airport and the New Delhi district. Since the work is expected to continue till evening, we advise commuters to use the metro for swift movement,” a senior Delhi traffic police officer said.
Another commuter Ishita Singh, who was travelling from Gurgaon to Chanakyapuri in Lutyens’ Delhi, said she, too, was stuck in a traffic jam and the road repair work at Sardar Patel and other locations added to her inconvenience.
Commuters also complained of facing traffic congestion in several other areas, including Africa Avenue Road, Sarita Vihar, near Zakir Hussain College and Bhera Enclave underpass. Commuters also complained of jams in several other parts of the city, from Delhi-Meerut Expressway to Mukarba Chowk.
While commuters complained about police barricades and checking causing jams at several other stretches of roads in the city, police attributed them to the morning hour traffic and the intensified checking as part of security measures in view of the summit.
