Traffic chaos as cab drivers protest Supreme Court ban order

The city groaned under traffic woes on Monday, as hundreds of cab drivers blocked National Highway-8, DND Flyway and Ring Road, protesting against action by enforcement agencies following the Supreme Court’s decision to ban diesel taxis in Delhi.

In the early hours, a group of protesters blocked both carriageways near the Rajokri toll booth on NH-8, which led to a long tailback stretching over a kilometre in the area, traffic officials said.

The situation turned worse at around 11.30 am when the protesters blocked both carriageways on the Ring Road stretch at Maharani Bagh, close to Ashram Chowk.

In no time, traffic was thrown out of gear in Dhaula Kuan, Kapashera and Mehrauli, and the chaos continued for hours.

The congestion largely affected thousands of office-goers who travel between Delhi and Gurgaon, linked by NH-8, and the traffic helpline was bombarded with calls from distressed commuters, officials said.

The second blockade directly hit traffic in areas like Sarai Kale Khan, Ashram, near PGDAV College in Nehru Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Moolchand, stretching up to AIIMS.