Four-hour gridlock on National Highway 8

According to traffic officials deployed along the Kapashera-Gurgaon border, NHAI officials set up concrete blocks at the toll without putting proper signages or informing either the Delhi or Gurgaon Traffic Police.

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“We first sent a message to the Gurgaon police control room around 8 am. As the traffic situation worsened, we called them again. We spoke to senior officers who in turn got in touch with NHAI officials and fixed the problem,” a traffic inspector said.

Denying reports that Gurgaon Police was responsible for the incident, a police spokesperson, in a statement, said, “A few stories have appeared on digital media accusing Gurgaon Traffic Police for the long congestion on NH-8… and that police broke the toll barriers, implemented lane driving and issued challans to those not following the same. All these stories are incorrect. The reason for the block was that the NHAI, upon the orders of High Court and without proper advisory, closed 7 of 11 lanes. As a result, people were caught unawares. Upon receiving the information about the block, Gurgaon Traffic Police acted swiftly and removed the barricades.”

“The ACP (Highway) met NHAI officials and asked them to share the High Court order and to have a proper communication plan in place before starting such drives,” ACP (Traffic) Dalbir Singh said.

According to Skylark Highways Solutions Limited — the expressway operators — the move was taken  in order to monitor ‘unruly traffic’ and to keep the main carriageway clear of any interjections.

According to the High Court order, the NHAI will only open eight lanes to bring about ‘access control’.

“We are trying to keep the main carriageway clear of any interjections. Traffic coming from Delhi and getting on the expressway will be allowed only four lanes. The other service roads will be cut off from Ambience flyover to Rajokri flyover,” an official said.