NAVIGATING GRIDLOCKED CAPITAL

The newly elected BJP government has launched a 100-day action plan to ease Delhi's traffic congestion through flyovers, tunnel roads, and bypasses at key points. Ashish Srivastava explores the major measures aimed at decongesting the capital and improving urban mobility

-  Ashish Srivastava

EVERY morning, as the city wakes up, millions of Delhiites brace themselves for a gruelling commute. By 7 am, the roads are already packed with vehicles, turning into a slow-moving maze of honking cars, restless bikers squeezing through narrow gaps, and buses struggling to stay on schedule. For those commuting from Delhi to Noida or Gurgaon, the situation is even worse-what should be a 30-minute drive often stretches to two hours or more. By the time they reach their destination, exhaustion has already set in, making the workday feel twice as long.

"I leave home at 7:30 am to reach my Gurgaon office by 9:30 am, and that's on a good day," says Hardik Pahuja, an influencer marketer from Sarita Vihar. "If there's an accident on NH-48 or even a minor bottleneck at IFFCO Chowk, my commute turns into an unpredictable nightmare," he added.

Similarly, Bhanu Priya, a marketing professional who commutes to Gurgaon daily, had to relocate closer to her workplace to escape the heavy traffic.

"I used to live in Lajpat Nagar, and my daily commute took nearly two hours due to traffic. After moving to Chhatarpur, my travel time has reduced to just 30 minutes. I would have preferred shifting to Gurgaon, but the high rents there made it unaffordable.

So, I chose a location that is both closer to my office and more budget-friendly" she explained.

This daily ordeal, experienced by lakhs of commuters, is a pressing issue that the newly elected BJP government in Delhi has vowed to address. Shortly after taking office, the government unveiled a 100-day action plan aimed at decongesting the capital's roads. The plan includes measures to reduce traffic congestion, enhance compliance among both vehicle operators and pedestrians, minimise road accidents, and remove encroachments through coordinated inter agency efforts.