Jaipur Walled City traffic arrangements came under pressure during the Diwali shopping rush, prompting the traffic police to deploy 600 additional personnel after the diversion plan struggled to prevent congestion on its first day.
The diversion plan was introduced on Friday for the Walled City, but traffic jams were reported across several stretches after 9pm as shoppers crowded the markets. Vehicles accumulated on busy roads, while pedestrians also found it difficult to move through the congested market areas.
The traffic police said the additional personnel would be deployed in the Walled City from Saturday evening and remain in place on Sunday. Their duties will include managing traffic at crowded market stretches and key junctions during the continuing festive rush.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Pradeep Mohan Sharma said the department had anticipated a large turnout. However, around 2,000 personnel had been assigned to panchayat election duty and returned only on Saturday, affecting the force available for traffic management during the initial phase of the plan.
“ We knew that such a large crowd would turn up. Around 2,000 of our personnel were deployed for panchayat election duty and they returned today. So, 600 additional personnel have been deployed in the evening on Saturday,” Sharma said, according to the Times of India.
The deployment is intended to provide greater presence at points where vehicle movement and pedestrian activity converge. The reported congestion highlights the operational difficulty of managing a seasonal surge in a dense historic market district, where roads must accommodate shoppers, local movement and commercial access at the same time.
The Walled City’s traffic arrangements are particularly dependent on the effectiveness of diversions and personnel at junctions because the festive increase in footfall can quickly affect both road traffic and pedestrian circulation. On the first day of the plan, the pressure became most visible after 9pm, when jams spread across multiple areas.
The traffic police have not announced a complete replacement of the diversion plan. Sharma said changes could be made if required, leaving open the possibility of adjustments based on traffic conditions during the remaining festive shopping period.
The additional deployment will continue through Sunday, with personnel assigned to busy market stretches and key junctions. Further changes to the plan will depend on the traffic situation, the police said.
