Over 1 hr to cover 10 km: Festive rush chokes Capital

With Diwali just round the corner, the national capital has turned into a maze of gridlocked roads and overcrowded Metros. What would usually be a 20-minute commute is now stretching to over an hour as Delhiites rush to complete last-minute shopping and festive visits.

Not just roads, even public transport system is feeling the strain. Since Monday, October 13, passenger footfall in Delhi Metro has surged past 76 lakh per day, a sharp rise from around 69 lakh on October 1. According to the data shared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the Metro witnessed 77,12,920 commuters on Monday, 78,10,061 on Tuesday, 76,13,870 on Wednesday and 76,62,421 on Thursday.

The highest-ever daily rush the DMRC witnessed was 81,87,674 on Raksha Bandhan this year. Passengers carrying bulging shopping bags and gifts could be seen rushing to Metros, many opting for the rail network to save both time and fuel amid citywide congestion. Office-goers too, juggling festive gifts and work bags, are relying heavily on the Metro to escape gridlock.

On Friday evening, traffic congestion across Delhi reached alarming levels. Data from TomTom, a real-time traffic monitoring service, showed a 145 per cent congestion level at 6:45 pm, nearly 82 per cent higher than usual. It took commuters about an hour to cover 10 km, much longer than on regular days.

To manage the chaos, the Delhi Police cancelled the leaves of traffic personnel from Thursday and ordered maximum deployment across the city.

“Personnel on motorcycles have been stationed at key points. We are fully prepared to manage the rush and ensure smoother movement in the coming days,” said Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ajay Chaudhary.

The Delhi Traffic Police also issued an advisory urging residents to plan their travel, use navigation apps and check live updates on @dtptraffic before stepping out. The advisory noted that ongoing road repair work has further slowed traffic at several intersections.

Further complicating matters, VIP movements linked to visiting delegates in central Delhi led to partial road closures, leaving regular commuters stranded.

“New Delhi is gridlocked for the second consecutive day. They simply block the traffic for VIPs without caring for common people’s time or fuel,” said Sujata, a commuter from South Delhi.

Another commuter, Suhail, said, “It’s an absolute shame that Delhi’s governance has collapsed, both in traffic and upkeep of roads. Leaders are only busy in sweeping streets for the sake of photo-ops.”

Aman, another Delhiite, said, “The traffic police failed completely. There was hour-long traffic jam on both sides of the Outer Ring Road. Even ambulances were stuck. Are they only there to issue challans?”

Ahead of Diwali, the authorities have urged motorists to avoid market areas such as Lajpat Nagar, Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk and Sarojini Nagar, which remain gridlocked through most of the day.

With the combination of festive crowds, road repairs and VIP movements, Delhi’s resilience and its commuters’ patience are being tested like never before.

VIP visits add to chaos

The presence of several dignitaries, including Sri Lankan PM Harini Amarasuriya, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Brazil’s Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin, Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in the city over the week further intensified traffic restrictions. The UN Troop Contributing Countries Chiefs’ Conclave held in New Delhi also saw high representation from all UN peacekeeping delegates adding to congestion and traffic diversions.