PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit, the Dhanteras shopping rush and a political protest combined to throw traffic out of gear across Dehradun on Friday, with commuters facing traffic jams and delays at several busy intersections. Parade Ground, Clock Tower, Subhash Road, Araghar Chowk and Tehsil Chowk witnessed congestion, with vehicles crawling through crowded stretches and commuters struggling to reach their destinations on time. The situation was particularly bad around Parade Ground, where Shah attended a programme before proceeding to Police Lines. The VIP movement brought additional traffic pressure to adjoining roads, while Clock Tower, Subhash Road and Araghar Chowk also witnessed long queues.
The festival rush further compounded the problem, with residents heading out for Dhanteras purchases and Diwali shopping adding to the number of vehicles on city roads. At Tehsil Chowk, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The demonstration at the busy intersection further disrupted traffic already affected by the VIP movement and festive rush. For commuters, the combination meant prolonged waits and disrupted schedules. Shubhankar Jaswal, who was heading to his office said that he remained stuck in traffic for a time and struggled to reach work on schedule. Astha Bhardwaj, who had come to the market for Dhanteras shopping said that the traffic queues considerably increased the time taken for her trip. “She added that she was stuck in the market for half an hour. People were not moving and we had to push our way out.” Despite traffic management arrangements for the minister’s visit, the simultaneous VIP movement, festive shopping and protest put additional pressure on the city’s already busy roads, leaving commuters and shoppers inconvenienced throughout the day.
