Chaos rules roost on Shaheed Path as city hosts 1st IPL match

While the city hosted its first IPL match of the season on Tuesday, chaos prevailed on several roads that were chock-a-block with cricket enthusiasts and commuters.

Roads and lanes near the venue, Ekana Stadium, and elsewhere on Shaheed Path, which is also a part of NH-27, witnessed vehicles moving at a snail’s pace even hours before the match between Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings kicked off.

As spectators were allowed entry into the stadium three hours before the match took off at 7:30 pm, people flooded Shaheed Path since the afternoon resulting in about two-km-long bottlenecked traffic.

The jam took place from around 500 metre ahead of Husadia Crossing and continued till Ahimamau. This was after Lucknow police came up with detailed traffic plans to avoid congestion on match days. They put in place diversions and banned e-rickshaws and heavy vehicles on Shaheed Path.

Also, a moving car caught fire on the route near Vibhuti Khand in the evening. No injuries were reported. Eyewitnesses said the burning car caused traffic jam on both sides of the road.

As commuters struggled to drive out of the traffic quagmire, they took to social media to lash out at the traffic department. A video posted on X by user Anil Singh purportedly showed long queues of stranded vehicles on Shaheed Path.

Another user wrote: “Extremely heavy traffic from Malhaur to Laulai. Vehicles can’t even move a little. I request @112UttarPradesh to take immediate action and help the public to escape from this chaotic traffic.”

Priyanka Raj tagged Lucknow police and wrote, “Traffic jams during IPL season only makes me hate cricket more. After a long day of work, all you want to do is go home and rest. But poor management makes you stand in traffic for 3-4 hours.”

“In view of the IPL match, there is traffic pressure around Ekana Cricket Stadium and on Shaheed Path Marg. Traffic police are alert and managing the situation,” said the department in a statement.