Auto Expo throws traffic out of gear in Knowledge

The ongoing Auto Expo at the India Expo Mart is attracting lakhs of visitors from across NCR and beyond. According to the organizers, the six-day fair will see over 6 lakh visitors. Naturally, with several thousand cars and buses visiting the area every day, it has thrown traffic out of gear in the Knowledge Park II area of Greater Noida. Close to the expo mart are numerous college campuses, housing several thousand students. With classes underway in most colleges, students are having to make adjustment to negotiate the traffic. Some say they are now starting up to an hour earlier from their homes to avoid the traffic mess while others say they try and avoid classes that are scheduled during the peak traffic hours.

Rajat Arora, a Sharda University student, says, "Starting from around 9am, there is so much traffic on the road that takes us to Knowledge Park from the Expressway. There have been days when it has taken me half an hour to reach my college from the Expressway when it is barely a kilometre. My friends and I have now made it a point to start 30 minutes early from home, otherwise we miss our first class." Students travelling from Delhi and Noida say while they had to contend with only the distance earlier, the jams have added to their woes. Akhil, who travels from Mayur Vihar to Greater Noida daily, says, "Two days in a row when the Auto Expo began, I missed my first classs because I got stuck in the jam near expo mart and reached college 40 minutes late. I have an early class on Wednesday and since it’s the last day of the expo, I know it will be crowded. I have decided to stay back at a friend’s place in Greater Noida itself to save time."



Rahul*, a student of GL Bajaj Institute of Management and Research, elaborates, "Several students have been smart enough not to attend classes on days when we have fewer classes. It’s just not worth travelling all the way here, negotiating the crazy traffic mess twice a day for just one or two classes. The teachers also understand." Others are avoiding classes that fall during peak hours for the visitors at the expo. Ananya Singh, a Sharda University student, says, "I don’t come for any classes that happen either around 9-10 or stay back for post-lunch classes, because these are the times when traffic is at its worst. The expo mart is some distance away from the university but the cars still line up close to our gate."