Noida: It’s a double whammy for commuters. The route diversions implemented for the kanwar yatra have not only slowed traffic on major roads but also pushed up fares on app-based cab and auto services, leaving commuters to bear the double impact of longer travel time and higher expenses.With the middle lane of Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) being reserved for kanwariyas on several stretches, traffic on the remaining lanes and alternative routes has increased considerably. The situation has been aggravated by rain and congestion on connecting roads.Commuters said cab fares on several routes were suddenly 1.5 to three times higher than usual as travel time increased and demand for app-based transport rose. Routes connecting Indirapuram, Vasundhara, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Mohan Nagar, Sahibabad and Noida-Ghaziabad were among those affected.Vinay Singh, a commuter from Ghaziabad’s Abhay Khand to Akshardham, said a cab that normally costs around Rs 150-250 was showing fares of Rs 450-600 during the evening. “Two days ago, I was trying to go to Akshardham. Since there was some problem with my car, I had given it for servicing, and I thought: I will book an Uber instead. It was Rs 603. I cancelled the booking and informed my sister that I will come next week,” he said.For some commuters, the increase in travel time was as significant as the rise in fares. Akhilesh Kumar, who travels daily from Indirapuram to his office in the Asiad area of Delhi, said the diversion arrangements on DME had added considerably to his commute.“The middle lane of DME was fixed for the kanwar yatra, while the left and right lanes were already congested. It took around 1.5 hours more than usual to reach office. I normally report by 9 am, but today I reached at 10.30 am,” Kumar said.He added that the longer travel time also affected the cab fare. “I usually pay around Rs 400 for an Ola cab, but today I had to pay Rs 580,” he said.Another commuter, Geetika, a resident of Vasundhara, said she also had to pay more than usual for her airport journey. “A cab from Vasundhara to Delhi airport normally costs around Rs 650, but this time I had to pay Rs 790,” she said.Auto commuters also reported higher fares, with several passengers saying that drivers were demanding considerably more than the usual rates on routes affected by diversions and congestion.The impact was particularly visible on roads leading towards Delhi, metro stations and railway stations. Commuters travelling to offices and hospitals also faced delays as traffic spilled over from diverted stretches to already busy alternative routes.Many commuters said the combination of route diversions and rain had made the situation worse. While the diversions were necessary to facilitate the kanwar yatra, the resulting traffic build-up meant that people had to spend more time on the road and, in many cases, pay significantly higher fares.Naresh Sharma, a resident of Vaishali’s Sector 3, said that not only cab prices but even bike prices were high; usually, that does not happen. “I was going to meet my daughter who was currently with her mother in Patel Nagar. Seeing the price of auto and cab high, I planned to take a bike and it was Rs 210 and still riders were cancelling it,” Sharma said.
