Traffic snarls on Delhi roads as police conduct carcade rehearsal for G20 Summit

New Delhi: Commuters had a harrowing time on Tuesday as they spent hours stuck up in jam-packed traffic on different stretches in central Delhi due to carcade rehearsal by city police for the G20 Summit.

Outer Ring Road near Indraprastha Park, C-Hexagon and Sardar Patel Marg were among the road stretches that saw heavy congestion. The vehicles were stuck on these road stretches for several kilometres.

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj targeted Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena over the traffic congestion in the city.

"I don't understand what Delhi Traffic Police has done, Delhi people are facing traffic jams everywhere. This police function was the only thing which LG saab had to handle, but it's causing lot of inconvenience to common people of Delhi (sic)," Bharadwaj wrote on X.

Earlier in the day, police informed people that the traffic was expected to be affected in several parts of New Delhi till 2 pm and advised them to plan their journey accordingly.

"Due to carcade rehearsal and special traffic arrangements, some congestion is expected on Bhairon Marg, Bhairon Road - Ring Road, Mathura Road, C-Hexagon, Sardar Patel Marg and Gurgaon Road till 2 pm. Commuters are advised to plan their journey accordingly," the traffic police said in a post on X.

One of the commuters took to X saying there was "total traffic chaos" at India Gate, Ashoka Road, Gole Market, Panchkuian, Jhandewalan Mandir and Azad Market.

Ankita Singh, who was travelling from Noida to New Delhi, said traffic on the Outer Ring Road stretch near Indraprastha was heavier than usual and Vikas Marg was also congested. It took Singh around one hour to reach her destination, which usually takes her around half an hour.

Another commuter Ishita Singh, who was travelling from Gurgaon to Chanakyapuri in Lutyens' Delhi, said she, too, was stuck in a traffic jam and the road repair work at Sardar Patel and other locations added to her inconvenience.

Another commuter said that the Sarai Kaale Khan area was a "mess" since the morning due to heavy traffic jam.

Commuters also complained of facing traffic congestion in several other areas, including Africa Avenue Road, Sarita Vihar, near Zakir Hussain College and Bhera Enclave underpass.

Traffic was also affected near the Old Delhi railway station due to a faulty traffic signal.

The circle near Hanuman Mandir at Karol Bagh witnessed heavy traffic. The traffic was also moving very slowly on the NH 8 flyover between Mahipalpur to Dhaula Kuan due to the breakdown of a DTC bus. Vehicles were stuck on over a 3-km road stretch between CRRI to Arali Village on Mathura Road.