Ahead of the upcoming Diwali festivities, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has announced special timings to cater to the surge in passengers. On Diwali eve (October 19), services on the Pink, Magenta and Grey Lines will start an hour earlier at 6 am instead of the usual 7 am. On the day of Diwali (October 20), the last metro train from terminal stations across all lines will depart at 10 pm and regular timings will continue for the rest of the day, the DMRC posted on X.
Festive traffic rush
Traffic congestion has become common in several parts of the city during the festival. The areas near popular market spots witness heavy traffic on these days. Pragati Maidan, Mathura Road towards east Delhi, Outer Ring Road, Netaji Subhash Place, Madhuban Chowk in Pitampura and the Delhi-Gurugram NH-48 flyover reported long delays on Wednesday. Roads near Jamia Millia Islamia also experienced slow-moving traffic.
Senior police officials attributed the snarls to a mix of festive shopping and office commutes. Measures have been deployed to ease congestion at key choke points.
“Leaves of traffic police personnel have been cancelled. Over 2,000 personnel are on duty. Additional cranes have been stationed near Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar markets to remove vehicles from no-parking zones, and motorcycle patrolling has been increased across the city,” an Indian Express report quoted Special CP (Traffic) Ajay Chaudhary as saying.
Authorities have urged commuters to plan their travel in advance, use Metro services where possible and follow traffic rules to ensure smooth movement during the festive season.
