Lockdown 4.0: More vehicles on roads, heavy traffic at some places especially city borders

With relaxations being granted for public movement during the fourth phase of the lockdown, there was a 60 per cent increase in the number of vehicles on roads, leading to traffic snarls in many parts of the national capital on Tuesday. Public transport resumed in Delhi on Tuesday with buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis plying on the road, albeit with a limited number of passengers. Two-wheelers and private vehicles were also plying on the roads which led to traffic jams at many places. According to traffic police officials, apart from the border areas, traffic snarls were also witnessed at ITO, Yamuna Bridge, Sarai Kale Khan and Barapulla flyover.

"Long queues of vehicles was witnessed at places like the ITO, Yamuna Bridge as several pickets deployed along the route stopped the vehicles to check violations. Vehicles were also stopped to check if anyone was plying with more than two passengers in cabs," the official said. Delhi witnessed 60 percent spike in vehicle volume on Tuesday from the usual 12,000 - 15,000 during the earlier phases of lockdown, a senior traffic official said. The strict checking by the UP police at the border was cited as a major reason for heavy traffic on the DND flyover and other bordering areas.

"Those without valid movement passes were not being allowed entry into Noida by the UP police following which they were sent back. The UP police strictly checked movement passes and those without valid passes were denied entry. Those commuters were asked to take U-turns through the other carriageway and sent back from the border areas," a senior official said. Another senior traffic police official said heavy traffic was witnessed at DND flyover as several vehicles were trying to enter Noida. Taking to Twitter, the Delhi Traffic Police alerted commuters travelling to Noida to plan their trip only if their vehicles had movement passes issued by the authorities concerned. A senior Uttar Pradesh police official said scores of people thronged the Delhi-Noida border on Tuesday morning. "Every vehicle was checked but sometimes it became very difficult due to the numbers of vehicles. People with valid passes were allowed. However, if someone did not have a pass and was carrying some important items like medicine, they were also allowed," he said.

The official said there were some who had come out only to roam and they were sent back with a warning. According to a Delhi Traffic police officer deployed at the Noida border, most of the vehicles were going from Delhi to Noida in the morning. The scene will change in the evening when people will return to their homes, he said.

The situation was no different at the Delhi-Gurgaon border as vehicles queued up to enter the national capital. "There was traffic on the border as each and every pass was being checked and bikes with pillion riders were sent back,” said Ram Kumar, a Gurgaon resident who works in Mahipalpur. "The traffic was not inside the city but only at the border intersections where it took around 20 minutes to cross. Further the traffic was moderate. However, once I reached ITO, the traffic was slow again," said Swati Gauba.

The Delhi Transport Corporation and Cluster buses also resumed services with social-distancing norms and safety measures in place like use of sanitisers and masks to check the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday had announced relaxations in curbs, including reopening of public transport with social-distancing norms, during the extended lockdown that is slated to end on May 31.

With two-wheelers plying on the roads alongside cabs and private vehicles, social distancing norms went for a toss at many places and many commuters felt as if there was no lockdown. Senior police officers said over 2,000 traffic police personnel were deployed on the ground to ensure the smooth flow of vehicular movement across the city and at the adjoining bordering areas.

In the wake of relaxations, the volume of vehicles on the roads increased significantly and to manage the movement of traffic, the focus was on regulation in junction management, said a senior official. "We had our presence on pickets earlier but now with the increase in vehicles on the roads, we have also deployed our staff on traffic junctions to ensure smooth movement of traffic," he said, adding that on the eastern border, at least 16 pickets from the department have been deployed to control traffic.

Since rules were being strictly followed at the UP border and many commuters were not allowed entry, those who were on the stretch of Kalindi Kunj were asked to take a U-turn, due to which there was a heavy traffic movement, he said. Pranav Mishra, a media professional who has been commuting to Delhi from Nodia on a daily basis since the lockdown began on March 25, said heavy traffic jams was witnessed near the Ghazipur landfill site as the flyovers have been closed and there is heavy barricading on roads as well.

There was traffic snarls at toll plazas due to which commuters end up waiting for about 30-40 minutes while returning from Delhi in the evening hours, he said. Commuters also took to Twitter to share their traffic woes and tagged the handles of Noida and Delhi Police.

"Welcome to traffic chaos roads approaching #DND from #Barapullah @dtptraffic . The volume of traffic unprecedented . @DelhiPolice . Is it the barriers that are causing traffic turmoil ? Pl look into the huge chaos . #DND approach road," tweeted Chaitanya Prasad.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)