Ahmedabad: The closing of a gap in median near Hotel Hillock on Sardar Patel Ring Road triggered fresh protests on Sunday, with locals and commuters taking to the streets and clashing briefly with police. They alleged that the move has worsened traffic woes. Authorities had recently barricaded the gap in the divider at the intersection near Hotel Hillock on the stretch from Vaishnodevi Circle to Zundal Road. This forced commuters from areas such as New Tragad and Chandkheda to take a detour of nearly 4km. Locals said the closure has added to daily commute time and is causing traffic snarls. Tensions escalated on Sunday morning when protesters demanding that removal of the barricade blocked the SP Ring Road near Hotel Hillock, leading to a traffic jam stretching over half a kilometre. Vehicles heading from Vaishnodevi Circle towards Zundal remained stuck for hours. A police inspector and five deputies from Chandkheda police station rushed to the spot and attempted to disperse the crowd. The cops urged protesters to submit their representations through official channels and clear the road to avoid inconvenience to other commuters. This led to heated arguments and a brief confrontation between locals and police.Citizens then initiated a signature campaign demanding that the gap be reopened, alleging that repeated representations to elected representatives have failed to yield results.They said the gap was barricaded after a co-ordination meeting in which BJP Rajya Sabha MP Narhari Amin raised concerns over traffic congestion at the spot. “If a building a circle at the spot was permitted, it means there was to be a gap in the median anyway. Closing it now makes no sense,” said a woman during the protest.With the gap closed, motorists are using the culvert some 850m from Hotel Hillock to avoid the longer detour. Only one car and a two-wheeler can pass through the narrow culvert at a time, leading to frequent snarls. Locals alleged that despite the daily chaos, traffic cops are rarely seen regulating movement. Members of the Aam Aadmi Party, including ward-level office-bearers from Chandkheda, Sabarmati and Chandlodia, joined the protest.“Our only demand is that the cut be reopened immediately,” a protester said. Police said the situation was brought under control after negotiations, but warned against blocking public roads.
