NEW DELHI: Delhi witnessed long queues of vehicles, gridlocked market roads and slow-moving traffic on Wednesday as festive shopping, traffic congestion and restrictions under GRAP added to commuters' woes.
From the narrow, crowded lanes of Sadar Bazar and Karol Bagh to major intersections across central Delhi, commuters reported prolonged traffic jams and encroachments that left little space for pedestrians. Several also complained of inadequate traffic personnel at key congestion points.
At Sadar Bazar, the stretch towards Qutub Road Chowk witnessed severe congestion, with two-wheelers and other vehicles allegedly parked illegally along the footpath, leaving pedestrians with almost no space to walk. Commuters also pointed to the absence of cranes to tow unauthorisedly parked vehicles and clear the encroachments.
Similar scenes were reported on Ajmal Khan Road, where commuters complained of indiscriminate parking and alleged that authorities had failed to act despite the problem recurring daily.
According to news agency PTI, the festive shopping rush ahead of Diwali further strained already congested roads, with commuters reporting slow-moving traffic and long queues at several busy intersections.
Traffic snarls were reported at multiple…