Traffic chaos in Delhi-NCR ahead of Diwali

New Delhi, Oct 21 Amid festive season, the national capital on Friday witnessed traffic snarls and vehicles lined up for kilometres across the city.

Traffic came to halt at ITO, Ashram, Dhaula Kuan, Peeragarhi, DND, and Sarhaul border at Delhi-Gurugram expressway with commuters stuck for hours. Traffic movement at snail's pace was also witnessed in parts of Noida as people rushed to the markets ahead of Dhanteras and Diwali.

There were long queues of vehicles at the recently-inaugurated Pragati Maidan tunnel in the central Delhi while traffic also came to a standstill at Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Road and from Barapullah towards DND.

The traffic movement was heavy from Alipur to Sonipat road, Delhi Gate red light from ITO, Kohat Enclave, Prashant Vihar from Jasola to Kalindi Kunj and Rohini West market, and Narela while massive traffic jams were reported from Chandagi Ram Akhada to Majnu Tila, Lajpat Nagar and Ashoka Road near Shangrila hotel.

A senior traffic cop said that a total of 42 calls were received by them regarding the traffic snarls from several parts of the city, including Dhaula Kuan, Khajuri Khas, Raghubir Nagar, Naraina flyover, Mangolpuri, Palam, Dwarka, and Kanjhawala.

"It is a long holiday weekend and Diwali too. I, along with my wife and child, were planning to have dinner at Connaught Place but for the last one hour I am stuck here," said Sushil, a resident of Mayur Vihar Phase-III, who was in a long traffic queue at ITO.

Another commuter, Manish Singhal, who was stuck on the Gurugram border, said it took him two hours just to reach Rajokri flyover from the border.

Meanwhile, several videos of traffic chaos were also doing rounds on social media. A video on Twitter from Sarhaul border at Delhi-Gurugram expressway showed long queues of traffic and an ambulance is also seen stuck in the traffic.

Meanwhile, following the traffic jam across the national Capital, Vistara Airlines took to Twitter to advise its customers to leave early from their homes.

"Vistara @airvistara #TravelUpdate: Heavy traffic congestion is expected in areas of Delhi today. Customers traveling are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport," it tweeted.