Delhi traffic congestion intensified across central, north, south and east Delhi on Wednesday as the Diwali shopping rush, road encroachments, illegal parking and restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) slowed movement and left commuters facing long queues.
Gridlocked roads were reported around Sadar Bazar, Karol Bagh, Inderlok, Teen Murti Marg, Kushak Road, Dhaula Kuan, Tal Katora Road, Shankar Road, Dwarka, East of Kailash, Keshav Puram, Azadpur, Vasant Kunj, Jasola and other busy locations. According to commuters cited in the report, vehicles remained almost stationary at an Inderlok traffic signal for nearly 30 minutes, while motorists on Teen Murti Marg and Kushak Road said they were delayed for around 20 minutes.
At Sadar Bazar, the stretch towards Qutub Road Chowk saw severe congestion as two-wheelers and other vehicles were allegedly parked along the footpath. Commuters said the parking left little room for pedestrians and complained that cranes were not available to tow unauthorisedly parked vehicles. Similar complaints were reported on Ajmal Khan Road, where indiscriminate parking was described as a recurring problem during peak periods.
The congestion was also linked to festive activity. Traffic slowed around the Blind School, where a Diwali mela was under way, while motorists near Modi Mill in Kalkaji reported that more than 200 cars had remained stuck for over 30 minutes. Commuters said the bottleneck near Modi Mill had become a daily occurrence, particularly during peak hours. Traffic delays were also reported near Prerna Chowk and Keshav Puram Metro station, where stationary and improperly parked vehicles were alleged to be narrowing the usable road space.
In south Delhi, vehicles were reported to be slowing outside Vasant Kunj police station, with motorists attributing the problem to vehicles parked outside the premises and a nearby traffic signal. At Jasola, commuters alleged that unauthorised parking had taken over sections of the road. The report said traffic police personnel attributed the parking arrangements there to permissions granted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
GRAP-related enforcement added another layer of disruption at the Ghazipur border, where personnel checked vehicles entering Delhi from Uttar Pradesh for compliance with restrictions on non-BS-VI vehicles. Traffic police were reported to be using registration series and other vehicle details to identify the registration year and emission standard of vehicles. Visuals shared online also showed severe congestion near Akshardham Temple amid dense fog and reduced visibility.
Commuters reported additional delays at Inderlok, Pitampura, Keshav Puram and other locations, along with wrong-side driving and other traffic violations near Azadpur Flyover. They called for more traffic personnel and volunteers at major intersections, as well as action against illegal parking and encroachments. The reported disruptions came as Delhi faced simultaneous festive travel demand, local market activity and vehicle checks linked to pollution-control restrictions.
