Ranchi: Commuters across the state capital endured severe disruptions on Monday as an influx of four-wheelers, driven by rain predictions, combined with multiple public demonstrations to choke major arterial routes and plunge large parts of the city into prolonged traffic gridlock.Vehicular movement slowed to a crawl along major thoroughfares, with severe bottlenecks reported between the ITI flyover and Kutchery. Long tailbacks were also recorded from Kantatoli to Dangratoli, along Main Road, around Morhabadi and across several other key intersections.A commuter Amit Kumar said, “I was stuck at the same spot for over 20 minutes while travelling from the ITI flyover to Circular Road. Whilst the city often faces traffic, today was particularly unbearable.”“Once the rain hits, you cannot tell where the tarmac ends and a massive pothole begins. Everyone is forced to drive at a snail’s pace because hitting one of these submerged craters can easily damage your vehicle or cause an accident,” added Rajesh Verma, a local commuter.“Protesters completely choked the junction near Albert Ekka Chowk during the evening. The disruption was particularly severe as the demonstration coincided with peak rush hour, compounding the strain on the city’s network as office-goers headed home,” rued Ankit Sharma, another commuter at Main Road.The gridlock was caused by a combination of compounding factors. Persistent downpours prompted a noticeable shift in travel choices, with many residents opting for four-wheelers over two-wheelers, significantly swelling overall traffic volume. Road conditions deteriorated rapidly under the rain, creating deep potholes and waterlogging that forced motorists to navigate cautiously and slowly. The ongoing Rath Yatra celebrations and concurrent citywide protests placed further pressure on the network.Traffic SP Rakesh Singh cited rainfall and simultaneous demonstrations in key areas as the primary causes of the disruption.“Our teams are managing the situation as best as they can by diverting routes and deploying extra traffic police personnel wherever needed. The city has limited infrastructure, and I appeal to the public to be judicious when stepping out onto the streets,” he said.
