Prayagraj: A half-an-hour ride from Chowk to Civil Lines took more than an hour as the revellers stepped out for Diwali shopping on Tuesday.Markets including old city, Medical crossing, Hanuman Mandir chauraha, CMP road, Phaphamau, Sangam-Sobatiyabgah road, Daraganj, Chowk, Civil Lines, Katra, Mutthiganj, Kydganj, and adjoining areas witnessed the heaviest traffic.The ripple effect was felt on two main bridges too. The stretch from Teliyarganj trisection to Shantipuram and from Daraganj to Jhunsi in trans-Ganga and old Yamuna bridge witnessed traffic chaos. Illegally parked vehicles, market spillovers, and encroachments added to the woes of the commuters.Anjali Bharava, a resident of Civil Lines, said commuting from Luckerganj to Civil Lines was nothing short of an endurance test. “What should’ve been a 20-minute drive has turned into an hour’s crawl,” she said.“Both two- and four-wheelers were parked everywhere, even along the main roads in Civil Lines and old city areas,” said Sandeep, adding even in trans-Ganga and trans-Yamuna, traffic snarls left many commuters exasperated. Several residents shared their frustration on social media. This was when adequate traffic cops were being deputed at some static points in view of the festive rush.A senior traffic cop said, “District traffic police acknowledged that vehicle volume on several stretches has doubled compared to other days. We have cops deployed at key points, and towing vans are working to remove illegally parked vehicles. There’s also a need for more traffic sense among commuters who often break lane system to make haste to reach their destinations.”
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