Raksha Bandhan Rush Triggers Heavy Traffic Jams Across Delhi Roads

Delhi witnessed heavy traffic congestion across several major stretches on Friday as festival travel for Raksha Bandhan triggered extensive vehicular queues along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, MB Road in Chhatarpur, Kalindi Kunj, Pragati Maidan, and Akshardham.

The disruption on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway began ahead of the festival weekend and persisted for several hours. Traffic police deployed personnel to regulate the movement of vehicles as slow-moving queues stretched across the expressway corridor.

On MB Road in the Chhatarpur area, heavy traffic resulted in long vehicular queues stretching over considerable distances. The intersection at the Lado Sarai Old MB Road traffic signal also experienced regular snarls, with commuters reporting concerns over buses allegedly jumping red lights and obstructing pedestrians at zebra crossings.

Kalindi Kunj remained another prominent bottleneck, with motorists reporting severe traffic jams moving towards the Delhi side. Commuters on the Delhi-Saharanpur Highway near Geeta Colony Road also encountered slow-moving traffic amid the heightened festive rush.

Traffic snarls were similarly observed around Pragati Maidan and the Akshardham corridor as thousands of vehicles took to the roads simultaneously.

The road congestion was mirrored across the public transport network, with the Delhi Metro recording a heavy rush of passengers across several stations and trains as residents travelled across the city.

The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory ahead of Raksha Bandhan celebrations on August 27 and 28, warning of increased vehicular and pedestrian movement around Anand Vihar ISBT, Road No. 56, NH-9, and Vikas Marg. Commuters were advised to plan their journeys in advance, factor in extra travel time, and avoid congested stretches wherever possible. Traffic teams and enforcement personnel remained stationed at key congestion-prone spots to clear snarls and ease movement.