Cop claims fall flat, huge jams in CP

NEW DELHI: Despite police claims that traffic movement will be smooth during the auto expo, there were huge traffic snarls again in central Delhi on Monday evening. While commuters complained of jams on Mathura Road, Connaught Place and India Gate, traffic cops claimed that they were doing their best to streamline traffic movement.
“We have deployed officials along the Mathura Road stretch in front of Pragati Maidan and are not allowing any vehicle to halt.We have towed away 98 vehicles, issued challans on 146 vehicles for improper parking and pasted notices on 461 cars for violations. A taxi has been impounded. Since the auto expo started, 706 vehicle have been prosecuted,” said a traffic cop.
Commuters complained of traffic snarls on the stretch during Monday noon as well as during the evening hours. “I was coming from Sunder Nagar towards ITO around 6pm and it took me one and half hours to cross the 15-minute stretch. Traffic was crawling at a snail’s pace. Cops seem to have bitten off more than they can chew,” said Sagar Ojha, a commuter.
“I thought that I had passed the worst when I managed to get out of the mess in front of Bhairon Road and Mathura Road but traffic movement was extremely slow at Mandi House and Connaught Place as well. It has been a horror to drive in central Delhi these past few days,” said Gautam Sen, a commuter.
The slow traffic movement on Mathura Road had a ripple effect on surrounding areas with commuters complaining of slow traffic movement till the Millennium Depot. Traffic tailbacks were reported till Sunder Nagar on Mathura Road and NH-24.