Traffic comes to a halt at ITO as policemen hit the streets
NEW DELHI: Traffic movement at ITO, one of the busiest traffic intersections in Delhi, was severely hit on Tuesday as nearly three thousand police personnel protested outside the police headquarters blocking the carriageway towards Vikas Marg. The personnel were protesting against the alleged assault on policemen in district courts over the past three days.
As the number of protesters swelled the traffic police close the route from ITO towards Laxmi Nagar was for vehicular movement from 11am. The road remained closed till 9pm, when the protesters finally dispersed.
Senior police officials said though the personnel did not block the traffic forcefully but the huge number of people could not have been contained on the footpath near the gate of the police headquarters.
“Traffic movement is closed in the carriageway from ITO towards Laxmi Nagar. Motorists are advised to use Delhi Gate and Raj Ghat,” an advisory from the Delhi Traffic Police read.
Despite fewer vehicles on road because of the ongoing odd-even road rationing arrangement, long traffic jams were seen at the ITO junction that tailed back along Vikas Marg till Geeta Colony and the Laxmi Nagar Metro station. The effect of the protest on traffic could also been seen near Pragati Maidan, Bhairon Marg, Ring Road near Nigambodh Ghat, and Delhi Gate.
Traffic movement was also slow on Tilak Marg, Mandi House, and C-hexagon (India
Gate roundabout). Many commuters were quick to take to social media to vent their frustration against the jams caused by police protests.
“When farmers demand fair prices for their produce they are stopped, when students demand fairness in evaluation they are stopped, when the youth demands jobs they are stopped. Somehow, when the police are protesting today, the traffic movement is stopped,” tweeted Akrita Makhija.
Senior traffic police officials, however, said that no major traffic jams were reported because of the protest.
“Police is here to protect all those people who come out to protest. We are also the citizens of this country and our voice also deserves to be heard. The protest was limited to ITO and all efforts were made that people aren’t inconvenienced,” said a senior traffic police official.
PROCESSION HITS
SOUTH DELHI TRAFFIC Commuters travelling central and south Delhi faced a harrowing time on Tuesday, as hundreds of people took out a religious procession from various parts of the city towards Karbala in Jor Bagh. Traffic movement was restricted according to the movement of ‘tazia’, Delhi Traffic Police said on Tuesday.
Senior traffic officials said the religious procession began in batches from 8pm and continued till late night. Vehicles were stopped to direct the crowd, including women and children, towards Karbala.
“These are smaller batches of people walking towards the Karbala.
They do not follow a set route. The roads were closed in parts as the crowd moved,” said a senior traffic official.
The official added, “To avoid long traffic jams, we were allowing vehicles to move in batches as the crowd movement reduced.”
The ‘tazia’ procession on Wednesday was taken out to mark the passing of 40 days since Muharram, called as Chehlom.
Traffic police said roads around central and south Delhi, especially near Udyog Bhawan, Sena Bhawan, Teen Murti, Shanti Path, Moti Bagh, Sri Aurobindo Marg, Lok Kalyan Marg and Niti Marg faced major traffic snarls because of the religious movement.
Areas around Khan Market, INA and the Ring Road near AIIMS and Sarojini Nagar was also affected.