Serpentine queues of vehicles, gridlocked market roads and prolonged delays brought traffic to a crawl across several parts of Delhi on Wednesday, as the festive shopping rush ahead of Diwali, indiscriminate parking and restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) added to commuters' difficulties.
From the crowded lanes of Sadar Bazar and Karol Bagh to major intersections in central, north and south Delhi, motorists reported severe congestion, with several alleging that unauthorised parking, roadside encroachments and inadequate deployment of traffic personnel had worsened the situation.
The rush of shoppers heading to major commercial centres ahead of Diwali put additional pressure on already congested roads, leaving commuters stranded for extended periods at several locations.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
At Sadar Bazar, the stretch leading towards Qutub Road Chowk witnessed severe congestion, with commuters complaining that two-wheelers and other vehicles were parked illegally along footpaths, leaving little space for pedestrians.
Several motorists alleged that the absence of cranes to remove unauthorisedly parked vehicles had allowed encroachments to continue unchecked, further narrowing the already crowded road.
Similar complaints emerged from Ajmal Khan Road in Karol Bagh, where vehicles were allegedly parked indiscriminately despite recurring congestion. Commuters claimed that little action had been taken to address the problem.
The situation was aggravated by the festive shopping rush, with vehicles moving slowly through narrow market stretches and queues extending towards adjoining intersections.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
Traffic snarls were reported at several locations across central and north Delhi, including Inderlok, where commuters claimed that vehicles remained virtually stationary at a traffic signal for nearly half an hour.
At Teen Murti Marg and Kushak Road, motorists reported delays of around 20 minutes, while heavy congestion was also flagged at 11 Murti towards Dhaula Kuan.
The stretch from Tal Katora Road towards Shankar Road witnessed slow-moving traffic, prompting commuters to seek intervention from traffic personnel.
Similar conditions prevailed near the Blind School, where a Diwali mela was underway. Motorists reported long queues on adjoining roads as vehicles struggled to negotiate the increased traffic.
At Modi Mill near Kalkaji, commuters claimed that more than 200 cars remained stuck for over 30 minutes. Several alleged that congestion had become a daily problem in the area, particularly during peak hours.
Traffic disruptions were also reported from Dwarka and East of Kailash, adding to the widespread congestion across the Capital.
๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ต๐ถ ๐๐ถ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ๐
In north Delhi, commuters flagged severe congestion at Prerna Chowk near Keshav Puram and along the road outside Keshav Puram Metro station.
They alleged that stationary and improperly parked vehicles were obstructing traffic movement and creating bottlenecks on already busy stretches.
Traffic was also reported to be crawling at Azadpur Flyover, where motorists complained of wrong-side driving and violations of traffic regulations.
Similar concerns were raised from Pitampura and Inderlok, with commuters seeking immediate intervention from the Delhi Traffic Police to regulate vehicle movement and remove obstructions.
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ต๐ถ ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐
In south Delhi, motorists reported congestion outside Vasant Kunj police station, attributing the bottleneck to vehicles parked outside the premises and a nearby traffic signal.
Commuters alleged that the combination of roadside parking and restricted road space was causing repeated delays.
At Jasola, residents and motorists complained that unauthorised parking had occupied substantial portions of the road, affecting the movement of vehicles.
Some commuters alleged that traffic police personnel had attributed the parking arrangements to permissions granted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
The complaints highlighted growing concerns over the use of road space for parking in areas already struggling with heavy traffic.
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐๐
At the Ghazipur border, restrictions on the entry of non-BS-VI vehicles into Delhi added to traffic pressure as enforcement personnel checked vehicles arriving from Uttar Pradesh.
Traffic police personnel were identifying vehicles through registration series and other details to determine their registration year and emission standards.
The checking process contributed to congestion at the entry point, where motorists were already facing heavy traffic movement.
Meanwhile, visuals shared online showed vehicles navigating severely congested stretches near Akshardham Temple amid dense fog and reduced visibility.
The combination of traffic restrictions, festive activity and poor visibility further complicated movement along several important routes.
๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐น
With congestion reported from multiple parts of the city, commuters urged the Delhi Traffic Police to deploy additional personnel and volunteers at major intersections, particularly around crowded markets and festival venues.
Several motorists alleged that inadequate enforcement against illegal parking, roadside encroachments and wrong-side driving had allowed traffic problems to persist.
They also called for more effective regulation of vehicles at key bottlenecks and prompt removal of improperly parked vehicles.
As Delhi prepares for Diwali, the surge in shopping-related travel and restrictions on vehicle movement have increased pressure on the city's road network, with commuters seeking stronger traffic management to prevent further disruptions during the festive period.