The joy of the festive season met the reality of the Monday-morning hustle early as commuters flooded NH-44 for the post-Bhai Dooj return journey. What is usually a smooth three-hour drive from Ambala to Delhi turned into a grueling 5-to-6-hour ordeal for many.
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Toll Plaza Pressure: The Bastara Toll Plaza in Karnal and the Murthal stretch in Sonipat were the hardest hit. Although the Indian Highway Management Company Limited (IHMCL) reported record ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) transactions, the sheer volume of vehicles exceeded the design capacity of the lanes during the 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM window.
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The “Dhaba” Effect: Popular transit stops in Murthal saw a double-edged sword effect; while business was at an all-time high, the haphazard parking of thousands of vehicles along the highway shoulders reduced the effective width of the main carriage, leading to kilometer-long tailbacks.
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Public Transport Overload: Following yesterday’s deployment of 200 extra buses, Haryana Roadways continued to operate at maximum capacity. “Every bus departing from Chandigarh and Ambala was booked out 48 hours in advance. We are running ‘shuttle’ services between Panipat and Delhi to clear the local rush,” stated a Transport Department official.
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Safety & Patrols: To prevent the NH-44 from becoming a “red zone” of accidents, Highway Police deployed additional patrolling units every 10 km. Cranes were stationed at major blackspots in Sonipat to quickly clear stalled vehicles or minor fender-benders that often cause cascading delays.
Community Sentiment
“We left Jalandhar at noon thinking we’d beat the evening rush, but we’ve been stuck near Panipat for over an hour. It seems everyone had the same idea. The extra buses are a help, but the highway just can’t breathe with this many cars,” said a commuter traveling to Gurugram for work.
