Bhubaneswar reeled under severe traffic congestion on Saturday as festive crowds flooded major roads, leaving commuters gasping for relief.
The Jaydev Vihar–Acharya Vihar corridor, one of the city’s busiest stretches, came to a grinding halt with vehicles lined bumper‑to‑bumper for hours.
The surge in vehicles during the festive weekend added to the chaos, exposing the city’s fragile traffic management system. Motorists ignored lane discipline, worsening the gridlock and forcing police to divert movement at several junctions.
Traffic snarls extended across connecting routes, with long queues of cars, two‑wheelers, and public transport vehicles stretching for kilometres. Commuters complained of delays and poor coordination among traffic personnel.
Experts say the growing number of vehicles and inadequate enforcement of lane driving norms have made Bhubaneswar increasingly “unbreathable” during peak festive hours. Despite repeated appeals, the city’s traffic control measures remain ineffective.
Authorities have promised stricter monitoring and additional deployment of personnel to ease congestion in the coming days.
