Fog disrupts rail traffic; trains, flights cancelled

Rail traffic remained disrupted on the second consecutive day due to heavy fog in the city on Thursday.

The temperature dipped to 12.6 degree Celsius, 6 degrees below normal.

Five trains were delayed while one was cancelled. Akal Takht express from Amritsar to Kolkata was delayed by four hours, Shane Punjab express from Delhi-Amritsar was late by one and a half hour, Sachkhand Express from Nanded to Amritsar was running late by one hour, Amrapali express from Katihar to Amritsar was delayed by four hours, while Swarna Shatabdi express arrived half an hour late at the station. Amritsar Jaipur express from Amritsar to Ajmer was cancelled owing to fog.

The Air India flight from Ludhiana to Delhi was also cancelled on Wednesday, Sahnewal Airport Manager VP Jain informed HT.

Several passengers cancelled their tickets because of trains running late by several hours.

Jatinder Khurana, a passenger said, “When I reached the city station in the morning, I got to know that Akal Takht express was late by four hours. Therefore, I decided to cancel my ticket. I had to reach Kotkata for an interview on Thursday, but I missed a good opportunity because of the foggy weather.”

Talking to Hindustan Times, head of meteorology department, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), KK Gill, said, “Fog would prevail till Thursday. There will also be cloudy weather with light showers. The weather will clear after January 18.”

Be careful

Restrict driving in fog, but if you must, there are a few tips you can try to make your trip safer. Implement these tips and stay alert.

Drive slowly: With minimal visibility, a motorist can't see anything on the road. Driving slowly at a speed of 20 miles an hour or less will give you plenty of time to analyse what's ahead and avoid mishaps.

Drive with the windows down and radio off: Sound is also muffled in foggy conditions which makes it tough to hear other traffic. Before crossing through a foggy intersection, listen carefully to the sound of an approaching car or train. When the fog is as thick as it is these days, sound is all you have to guide you safely to your destination.

Stay on well known, familiar roads: It's very easy to lose one's bearings when driving in heavy fog because it hides those familiar landmarks that guide our way through our city. When it's super foggy outside, drive on roads you know well, even if they are a little out of your way.

Stick close, but not too close, to the motorist in front of you: Yes, tailgating is bad but there's nothing wrong with following the taillights of the motorist in front of you. Those lights can be a great beacon to follow as long as you remember to brake and listen if the car lights ahead of you suddenly vanish.

Always drive on low beam: Turn on your headlights or fog lights. While regular headlights don't do much good when it comes to improving visibility, they do let other motorists know that a car is approaching.