Traffic Jams Irk Commuters in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: The oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu caused heavy traffic jams throughout the day, making it a nightmare for Vijayawada’s citizens.

City roads remained chock-a-block from daybreak, with vehicles coming from various parts of the state to attend the swearing-in ceremony in Gannavaram. The traffic jam lasted till evening even though the oath-taking ceremony concluded in the afternoon itself.

Movement of vehicles on Chennai-Kolkata national highway came to a standstill for hours together at Varadhi, Benz Circle, Prakasam barrage, Ramavarapadu, Nidamanuru and Kesarapalli, apart from other important junctions.

Although thousands of police had been deployed to control the traffic, arrival of too many vehicles left the cops helpless.

“It took me three hours to reach Vijayawada from Guntur, which usually takes one hour. I started at 6:30 am in Guntur. Traffic moved at a snail’s pace. I could reach Vijayawada only at 9:30 a.m.,” said Nagarjuna, a passenger who travelled by an APSRTC bus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah, VVIPs and VIPs attended the oath-taking ceremony.