VVIP movement brings traffic to halt in Amritsar

Amritsar, September 13

The three-day tour of Punjab by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal starting from the holy city brought the traffic to halt today. Commuters faced traffic hassles and snarls. Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Cabinet colleagues.

I reached home two hours late due to traffic snarls on the city roads. The delay will cost students dear as house tests are going on in schools. Students would have less time for the preparation of exams. Dilpreet Singh, Class XI student

The main roads of the city, including bypasses and all routes leading to Ranjit Avenue, were out-of-bounds for commuters as the police had installed barricades.

Subsequently, traffic spilled over to adjoining roads resulting in traffic jams on Cantonment Road, university area and other stretches. Heavy rush of vehicles was witnessed on Maqbool Road, in Majitha, Batala and on GT Road heading from Gha Mandi Chowk to New Amritsar.

Among stranded commuters were office-goers, shoppers, school buses and others. People got stuck in traffic jams for hours’ altogether. There was a lot of cacophony as motorists kept honking.

Dilpreet Singh, a Class XI student, said he reached home two hours late due to traffic snarls. He said, “The delay cost students dear as house tests are going on in schools. They would have less time for the preparation.”

Sanjiv Kumar, a commuter, said traffic jams, slow movement of vehicles and alarming level of honking made commuting a challenge on a hot and humid Wednesday.

Meanwhile, officials said the Police Department had made a route plan for dignitaries for going to rally venues. As per plan, commuters were advised not to ply vehicles on the 15-km stretch of GT Road heading from Golden Gate to India Gate bypass.

The dignitaries were to go to School of Eminence, Chheharta, through India Gate intersection and attend a rally at Ranjit Avenue. All roads leading to these two places were closed for the city commuters.