GUWAHATI, March 2 - Ambulance services were worst affected as commuters in the city had a harrowing time on Sunday due to a �night marathon� organised in the evening hours which led to massive traffic snarls on various roads and lanes.
�Ambulances mostly coming from Upper Assam and middle Assam were stuck in the heavy traffic jams for almost three hours. There were many serious patients on those ambulances. But, there was not much we could do as the entire road was blocked and there was no way the vehicles could make way for us,� an official of GVK EMRI 108 Mrityunjoy Emergency Service said.
Commuters, too, faced heavy traffic congestion along the GS road.
The first-ever night marathon of the Northeast, organised by the Asmakam Foundation, was flagged off from the College of Veterinary Science field at Khanapara by Bollywood actress Yami Gautam. Athletes, including veteran and well-known marathoners from India and abroad, participated in the event.
Questions, however, are being raised on the permission given by the authorities to hold the event in peak hours on a busy city road.
The traffic police had completely failed to ensure smooth movement of traffic as they failed to divert the traffic from Khanapara to ABC point.
�This is absolutely ridiculous to hold a marathon during evening hours. Marathons are generally held during morning hours and if it was a night marathon then they could have organised it after 11 pm. This shows only the people�s convenience is the last thing in the mind of the district administration,� a commuter Manash Borthakur said.
Another commuter Pranjal Sarma said, �Our plans were ruined since the rerouting information wasn�t publicised well by the administration. It took more than two hours to reach Panjabari from Last Gate area, while it takes only 15 minutes to cover the distance on other days.�
To avoid the GS Road, vehicles took various lanes and by-lanes, clogging those narrow routes as well.
