New Year jam at India Gate stalls traffic
Even the roads from Noida and Ghaziabad were seen choked with several vehicles moving bumper to bumper.
New Delhi: It was a chaotic Sunday morning for Delhiites who were stuck behind the wheels for over two hours when the traffic moved at a snail’s pace, choking the city’s border points. With the onset of the new year, lakhs of commuters hit the road to continue the New Year revelry heading towards the city.
It was a traffic mayhem at all the roads leading to Connaught Place (CP) and all adjoining radial like Barakhamba, Janpath, Sansad Marg, Ashok Road, Kali Bari, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Lutyen’s Zone, Akbar Road and Ashok Road. Owing to New Year revelries at India Gate, roads at Central and East Delhi were blocked while the traffic had come to a standstill. Even the roads from Noida and Ghaziabad were seen choked with several vehicles moving bumper to bumper. “It looks like my first day of 2017 will be spent on road. The traffic has become static. As far as your eyes can see, there are vehicles lined up struggling to get to their destinations,” said Akash Mathur, a businessman.
For fashion designer Akshita, the monstrous jam has already delayed her by over an hour. “My friends are waiting at CP. And here I am, stuck in this immovable traffic. What is more frustrating is that there are no traffic policemen to man the traffic. Motorists are cutting into lanes. If the situation remains like this, there is no way that I can reach CP before dinner,” she rued.
Meanwhile, the Delhi police took to Twitter and informed its denizens about the heavy traffic movement at all arterial roads. The officials tweeted: “Traffic is heavy at C hexagon due to ‘Happy New Year’ celebration. Diversions have been made to ease the traffic congestion.”
Commuters had to undergo hardship in parking their vehicles at metro stations due to heavy traffic jams. “There is no way even to get near the metro station as the roads are completely blocked. I am stranded in the jam and now have to wait for the traffic to clear,” said Ankush, a motorist.
Many netizens took to social media and informed about the dire situation out on the roads. Due to New Year celebrations, the national capital was crippled by traffic jam with a mammoth inflow of commuters towards the city.