Going to Noida via Kalindi Kunj? Keep a few hrs in hand

Going to Noida via Kalindi Kunj? Keep a few hrs in hand

Somreet.Bhattacharya@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  18.06.2020

If you are commuting to Noida from Delhi, especially during peak hours, add a few hours to your travel time. Checking at police pickets on the borders has been leading to traffic snarls, which sometimes stretch to hours, giving motorists a headache.

The Kalindi Kunj border has seen nearly 70% spike in the traffic volume compared with the lockdown period. The picket set up by Noida police at the mouth of the Kalindi Kunj bridge leads to the road getting choked in the morning peak hours. Cops conduct a thorough check, including permits and other documents, leading to a massive queue of vehicles stretching till Shaheen Bagh.

The situation is somewhat similar at DND Flyway and Chilla border. Noida police officers said the checks are being conducted on an order by the district magistrate. Vehicles without permit are not allowed to enter the sub-city. However, Noida police relaxes checking towards the afternoon. Commuters said no stringent checking of commuters trying to enter Delhi from Noida is conducted before 9am.

Those found travelling without valid permits are asked to take a U-turn on the Kalindi Kunj bridge and return to Delhi using the wrong side of the carriageway. This also ends in snarls on the opposite carriageway that is supposed to be left free for vehicles returning to the capital. The situation is a little better on DND Flyway as there is more space for vehicles to manoeuvre.

A handful of Delhi Traffic Police personnel manning the Kalindi Kunj crossing near the metro station helplessly try to streamline the huge volume of traffic that accumulates during weekdays.

“I have to travel to Noida Sector 132 for work and the snarls have become a daily affair despite interstate travel being allowed everywhere else. I leave at least 90 minutes before my usual time to negotiate the jam,” said Sumeet Bhargav, a resident of Moti Bagh in south Delhi.

The situation was so bad on Tuesday that medical assistance had to be provided to at least three drivers who fell ill waiting in the summer heat. “A woman driver nearly fainted due to the heat. We have also arranged for an ambulance and asked police to station a PCR vehicle nearby to prevent incidents of people falling ill due to a heat stroke,” said Vikram Singh, a resident of Madanpur Khadar aiding police in controlling the traffic.

A traffic policeman said the problem begins when the four-lane road gets squeezed into two at the bridge. “Normally, both the carriageways of the old bridge are used by vehicles going towards Noida. But now one of the carriageways is being used to send back vehicles that do not have permits,” he added.

(With inputs from Shikha Salaria in Noida)

STUCK: The picket at the mouth of the Kalindi Kunj bridge leads to the road getting choked