Long traffic jams during peak hours are not new to Noida commuters, but the chaos in front of Botanical Metro Station and City Centre Metro Station are a different story altogether.
The autos, e-rickshaws and cabs parked right outside the stations have completely blocked off a portion of the road — forcing commuters to sometimes even rework their routes.
“I have been availing the Metro since the day it first started in Noida to commute to office in Delhi. But things have gotten really bad now — there’s no crowd management and just reaching the Metro station is a huge ordeal,” complained Akansha Srivastava, a resident of Sector 50.
Autowallahs parked outside the station contend that the jams are caused by people who illegally park their vehicles on the road, despite the presence of traffic police officials. Those who drive prepaid autos say this chaos is also eating into their business — even though they park only in the lane designated for them.
Feeling bitter about the situation, Dharmender Yadav, an auto driver, said, “The jams are mainly due to two reasons —encroachment brought upon by small roadside vendors such as cigarette kiosks, chat and food stalls, and secondly, due to e-rickshaws.”
