Commuters travelling across the National Capital Region (NCR) on Saturday, 10 October described severe disruption — walking kilometres on foot, scrambling through multiple transport changes, and paying double or triple the standard taxi fare — as sweeping travel restrictions were imposed across New Delhi to prevent a scheduled protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), permission for which was denied by Delhi Police.

Border Jams and Forced Marches

Security has been significantly tightened across the capital, particularly at border entry points. Police checks at Seemapuri's Apsara Border triggered long traffic jams, with commercial vehicles denied entry into Delhi, forcing bus and taxi passengers to disembark and continue on foot.

One commuter, travelling from Noida, said he had already walked nearly a kilometre after stepping off a bus: 'The traffic jam is so severe that I got down from the bus and started walking. I am coming from Noida, I need to cross the border and go to Delhi.'

Another traveller headed to New Delhi Railway Station said he was at risk of missing his train due to the gridlock on the roads.

Double and Triple Fares, Stranded Families

Passengers with confirmed train tickets reported being unable to find taxis willing to travel to their destination — and those that agreed were charging two to three times the standard rate.

A passenger travelling with his family from Gwalior to Sri Ganganagar, with a departure from Old Delhi Railway Station, said: 'Whenever we ask for a taxi, no one is willing to go there. Those who are willing to take us are charging double or triple the usual fare.' He added that the short notice — the restrictions were announced just the day before — left his family with no time to make alternative arrangements, compounded by the suspension of metro services.

A Journey of Five Modes of Transport

In Delhi's Sarita Vihar, a commuter described a particularly arduous journey from Mathura: he took an e-rickshaw to Palwal, then an auto whose tyre got punctured mid-route, then a bus to Ballabhgarh, before finally boarding the Metro once service had resumed from that station. Upon reaching Sarita Vihar, he said he had been waiting for a connecting bus for over one-and-a-half hours. 'I would say that the difficulties people are facing are unnecessary,' he remarked.

Riders and Students Hit Hard

A woman driver with Delhi Metro's 'She Ryds' service said the disruption had paralysed ride requests entirely. 'The entire Delhi is shut down and blocked. Metro stations are closed from all sides, and roads have been blocked everywhere. Students are calling us, but how can we reach them? How do we drop them since roads are closed?' she said. She suggested that protesters be allocated a designated venue rather than allowing restrictions to inconvenience the general public.

CJP Leaders Detained at Airport

Meanwhile, CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by police at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi while reportedly travelling to Jantar Mantar to stage a protest. The demonstration was reportedly planned to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

With restrictions still in place as of Saturday evening, commuters, daily-wage workers, and students continue to bear the cost of the capital's security lockdown — and the situation is unlikely to ease until Delhi Police formally lifts the curbs.