VVIP movement snarls traffic at 10 points in Bhopal as convoys halt vehicles for 5 to 8 minutes

Traffic in Bhopal was thrown into disarray on Thursday because of VVIP movement. Senior leaders from across the country are arriving in the city to attend the terahvin and shanti bhoj of Kashibai, mother of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Their arrivals are continuing, and the effect is directly visible on the roads.

Traffic is being disrupted intermittently at about 10 key points in the city. To let VVIP convoys pass, vehicle movement is being stopped for 5 to 8 minutes, leading to long queues of vehicles. Even after a convoy has passed, traffic takes several minutes to return to normal, and at many places vehicles are crawling.

The worst-affected stretches were Airport Road, Lalghati, VIP Road, the road from Moti Masjid to Kamla Park, Kamla Park, Polytechnic Square and the road from BU towards Misrod.

A programme is being held at Vrindavan Garden on Narmadapuram Road. Many VVIPs are coming to Bhopal to attend it, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, West Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari and Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Traffic has to be stopped for a few minutes during VVIP movement, but the effect does not end once the convoy has passed. Because of the long queues, vehicles move forward slowly even after the road reopens. The stoppage on one road is also being felt at nearby intersections and the roads linked to them.

In old Bhopal, many people are taking the wrong side of the road to get from the road in front of Moti Masjid towards Kamla Park. This is causing jams on both sides of the road.

With traffic being stopped in different parts of the city at the same time and vehicles then released slowly, people are taking longer even on ordinary journeys. Ordinary motorists have had to stop repeatedly as the convoys of leaders attending the programme move through.