Curbs for Beating Retreat lead to massive jams

NEW DELHI: The traffic in central Delhi came to a halt on Monday after restrictions on movement of vehicles was put due to the Beating Retreat rehearsal and breakdown of a few cluster buses at major intersections.

The Delhi Traffic Police has been constantly updating commuters on the congestion through its twitter handle.

“Traffic movement has been closed on Gurugram Road to Thimayya Marg by local police. Traffic has been diverted towards Station Road and Sadar Bazar Road,” it said.

Traffic restrictions have been imposed in central part of the city due to rehearsal of the Beating Retreat ceremony.

Vijay Chowk will remain closed for general traffic from 3.30 pm to 9.30 pm, according to a traffic advisory.

Movement of vehicles on parts of Rafi Marg, Raisina Road, Krishna Menon Marg, ‘C’ Hexagon and Dara Shikoh Road will also be restricted, it said.

Parking will be available for those coming to see the lighting behind the water channels between Rafi Marg and ‘C’ Hexagon after 7 pm, it said.

The traffic police has arranged for buses to avoid taking the ‘C’ Hexagon and some nearby roads from afternoon till evening.

Breakdown of a cluster bus at Pamposh Enclave added to traffic woes for people travelling from Nehru Place towards Chirag Delhi.

“Major traffic jam in Delhi Cantonment (Sadar Bazar Road), have been stuck here for more than an hour!,” a commuter tweeted.

Commuters were stuck for long hours at Kalindi Kunj stretch from Delhi to Noida due to heavy traffic jam. While a DTC bus broke down at Yamuna Bridge, Vikas Marg,  causing a chock-a-block situation.

“I was not getting cabs in the morning. There was a waiting of 22 minutes to get a cab for a distance of five kilometers,” Rahul, who was travelling to Noida from Mayur Vihar, said.

“Traffic movement was also closed from Loni to Shahdara carriageway due to ongoing Delhi Jal Board work. Traffic was moving in one carriageway. Kindly avoid the stretch,” the traffic police tweeted.

According to the advisory, roads to be avoided include Akbar Road, Ashoka Road, Tilak Marg, KG Marg, Prithvi Raj Road, Mathura Road, Shahjahan Road and Sher Shah Suri Marg.