Serpentine snarls were witnessed across the National Capital on Diwali eve

The festival of lights is here, and for thousands of commuters it also means the brake lights of the scores of vehicles in front of them. It was difficult to enumerate the  number and location of these serpentine traffic snarls that were witnessed across the National Capital on the eve of Diwali.

The roads were jammed, the pavements had been taken over as shops set up display counters outside, and inside buyers stood six rows deep waiting for their turns. Many others made a beeline for malls, to grab just the perfect gifts to make the festival of lights a memorable affair for their loved ones, creating significant delays and inconvenience to commuters.

Even as traffic police made arrangements to minimise inconvenience to commuters, social media was rife with tales of commuting woes. Videos on social media showed long lines of vehicles stuck in traffic in Laxmi Nagar, Chirag Dilli, Kashmiri Gate, Kamla Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Market, Karol Bagh,  Sarai Kale Khan and several other parts of Delhi.

Expressing frustration over the significant jams against the Delhi Traffic Police, a commuter said, “Please deploy your  teams on the roads. There is not a single traffic police available on roads in Delhi despite heavy festive rush. From Sheikh Sarai flyover to Moolchand flyover, traffic is choked.”

Another commuter travelling around the Laxmi Nagar area  said, “Delhi is experiencing significant traffic congestion due to the festive season, causing delays for commuters. A big reason has also been the mismanagement of traffic despite authorities knowing well in advance that such a situation will arise.”

The other massive congestion reported at Dhaula Kuan, Khajuri Khas, Model Town, Sadar Bazar, Rohtak Road, Kishan Ganj, Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Mangolpuri, Rajouri Garden and Najafgarh. “Nangloi-Najafgarh road is seeing very heavy traffic and no traffic police are available here. I am stuck for the last hour. Should we enjoy Diwali by sitting in our cars?”

Commuters took to X saying the traffic was heavy at several places including Badarpur flyover, CV Raman Marg, Punjabi Bagh, Mehrauli Badarpur Road, Taimur Nagar-Maharani Bagh Road, Ashram and Yamuna Vihar.

This situation remains despite the Delhi Police saying that they have made elaborate arrangements for smooth flow of traffic. A senior traffic police officer said they have intensified checking on the road. “We have deployed personnel on bikes to check the encroachment on busy roads which could lead to traffic congestion in the area. People who are coming to the markets are also informed that they should park their vehicles at designated places,” it said.

“The personnel have loud speakers on their bikes to make the flow of traffic smooth. Non-destined vehicles are not being allowed to enter the national capital. Continuous anti-encroachment drives are also being carried out in the crowded places,” the officer said.

In view of the festive season, the Delhi Metro also stated that it will introduce additional 60 trips on Tuesday and Wednesday in a bid to enhance commuter convenience and ease congestion. There are around 4,000 daily Metro trips.