- Heavy traffic jams on DME, NH-9 before Raksha Bandhan.
- Traffic police issued diversions for heavy vehicles until August 28.
- Two-wheelers ignored ban, plying dangerously on Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
Jagran correspondent, Ghaziabad: A day before Raksha Bandhan, heavy traffic jams were reported on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Lalkuan, and NH-9 on Friday. Long queues of vehicles formed at Lalkuan in Ghaziabad, while traffic on NH-9 also slowed down.
On the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, a long traffic jam was reported between Lalkuan and Dasna, with increased traffic on the Hapur-bound lane at the Delhi-Meerut Expressway entry point near Dasna.
Diversion from 26-28 August
Anticipating a large number of people travelling from Delhi, Ghaziabad, and surrounding districts on Raksha Bandhan, the traffic police have issued an advisory and implemented diversions for heavy vehicles from August 26 to 28.
As per the advisory, heavy vehicles are diverted to the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Eastern Peripheral Expressway, while their movement on NH-9 is prohibited. The heaviest traffic was seen at Lalkuan and on NH-9.
At the DME entry point in Dasna, vehicles lined the Hapur-bound lane. Traffic also ground to a halt near ABES College. At many locations, a 15-minute journey was converted into an hour. Due to the heavy traffic at Lalkuan, drivers had to contend with traffic jams when they turned towards the Bulandshahr Road Industrial Area.
On Thursday, the police closed the Bamheta underpass due to waterlogging. The service lane of NH-9 is being widened from the industrial area road. Consequently, drivers travelling from the industrial area to the NH were forced to travel to Lalkuan and face traffic jams.
Similarly, between GT Road and Lalkuan, drivers had to face traffic jams after Bhatia Turn because there was debris lying on the roadside on GT Road.
Two-wheelers ply on DME despite ban
Despite a ban on two-wheeled vehicles, numerous two-wheelers were seen plying on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on Friday. Amid increased traffic congestion due to the festival, two-wheeler riders disregarded traffic rules on the expressway. At some locations, two-wheelers were even seen traveling in the opposite direction, increasing the risk of accidents.