Large carts piled with clothes, fruits, vegetables, household items, take up roadspace

Festive season in Delhi is also shopping and gifting season, this inturn is a major factor that contributes to the severe traffic jams that are taking a toll on daily commuters. The glittering lights of the bustling streets bring little cheer to the stagnant long lines of traffic that make navigating the city a daunting experience, especially in the North-West areas, during evening hours.

The traffic congestion in the North West Delhi starts intensifying at Britannia Chowk, a crucial crossroad connecting Punjabi Bagh, Netaji Subhash Palace and Rani Bagh. Commuters heading towards Rani Bagh from the  crossroad, face long red lights due to excessive rush.

When travelling to the Shakurpur Basti Railway Station one will find sweet shops and small roadside markets in between. The condition becomes disastrous every Wednesday due to the ‘Budhh Bazaar’ (the ubiquitous Wednesday market) choking the two way road. Large heavy carts piled high with clothes, fruits, vegetables, household items, toys and more for sale take up roadspace. This leads to bumper-to-bumper traffic, exacerbated by many traffic signals on the road.

The traffic situation is further complicated on Mahatma Gandhi Road, as major thoroughfares of car modification shops and fruit vendors occupy the sidewalks, leaving little space for vehicles to manoeuvre. The stretch from Shri Ram Mandir crossroads to Mahindra Park Red Light is a notorious bottleneck. The narrow road bends towards Madhuban Chowk, creating a choke point that disrupts traffic flow for buses and other vehicles.

Punjabi Zaika, a restaurant on the  Mahindra Park  crossroad seems to have earmarked its own parking in the service lane and the road itself. The main road is more difficult to travel on, due to the movement of DTC buses and crowded bus stands. The buses line up one behind the other, and this affects the complete stretch.

Illegal parking along these routes adds to the chaos, affecting connectivity to Chandra Shekhar Azad Marg and M2K Rohini. Delhi’s traffic woes are not new, the traffic but the festive season has made matters worse. “As soon as I leave home, I’m stuck in a jam. The whole of Delhi is gridlocked,” Varun Singh, who was on his way to meet friends, said. Another commuter, Sanyam, lamented, “What used to be a 10-minute ride now takes at least 30 minutes.”

Meanwhile Traffic volunteers, and police do what they can to manage the situation. “We tow illegally parked vehicles and try to keep things moving, but during the festive season, it’s nearly impossible to control,” a traffic volunteer stationed at Ashok Vihar Circle, said.

Another volunteer explained the challenge of this job, “khade hona asaan nhi hai, aur logo ko samjhana mushkil hai” (It is not easy to stand for so long and make people understand the traffic rules and curate the traffic.)

As the peak office hours wear on, the congestion extends to other areas, with heavy traffic beginning at the Punjabi Bagh flyover, leaving Delhiites hoping for a smoother ride amidst the festivities.