Thousands of commuters travelling from Gurugram to Delhi faced a gruelling Sunday as a massive traffic jam brought the Delhi-bound carriageway of the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway to a near-standstill, with the gridlock stretching from IFFCO Chowk to the Sirhaul border.

Source: Mirror Now

Authorities had set up multiple barricades to check vehicle documents, registration details and emission compliance ahead of the new anti-pollution vehicle restrictions scheduled to begin on November 1. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Highways), Gurugram, Satyapal Yadav said the intensive checking drive was a proactive measure to ensure motorists were prepared for the new mandates.

Reports said the enforcement was linked to BS-VI vehicle restrictions under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb severe air pollution across the National Capital Region, with non-conforming vehicles barred from entering the capital. A border crossing that normally takes about 20 minutes stretched to an hour or more for many commuters.

Source: News Ei Samay

The congestion was worsened by buses carrying supporters to a political rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. The Gurugram Traffic Police had also earlier announced three temporary blocks of 15 to 20 minutes each near Khandasa village on the same highway.

Traffic police urged commuters travelling between Gurugram and Delhi to use the Delhi Metro, carpool or take alternative border corridors to bypass the bottlenecks.