Noida averaged 14 VIP visits a day last year, traffic took a hit

Noida: That sudden traffic jam that Noida has a proclivity to spring on you out of nowhere has a reason. Police data shows that Noida, Greater Noida, and other parts of the district witnessed nearly 5,500 VIP and VVIP visits over the past year — an average of 14 dignitaries a day.VIP movements entail security arrangements that are a major logistics challenge for police, for whom managing the district’s already dense traffic is a hard enough job. Officers said extensive planning, route management, and inter-unit coordination are required for every visit while minimising inconvenience to the public.Data from the police commissionerate shows it managed security and traffic arrangements for 5,491 VVIP visits between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. The visits included those of the vice president, Prime Minister, UP governor, chief minister, governors and CMs of other states, and 164 Z+ category protectees, besides foreign dignitaries, Union and state ministers, senior members of the judiciary, and other distinguished guests.For every VVIP movement, the commissionerate conducted detailed briefings, covering security protocols, traffic regulation, crowd management, route diversions, and emergency response. Arrangements included anti-sabotage checks, dog squad and bomb disposal unit deployment, and the positioning of personnel at strategic locations.“Despite the large number of VVIP movements, the department maintained a focus on minimising public inconvenience. Alternative routes and diversion plans were publicised in advance through various communication channels,” police commissioner Laxmi Singh said.The data, however, does not fully capture the disruption absorbed by daily commuters. On June 23, 2025, traffic on the Noida Expressway and DND Flyway was halted for former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar’s convoy, causing peak-hour congestion. On Aug 21 last year, all entry points to the expressway were blocked for around 10-15 minutes for the convoy of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, delaying commuters by 15 to 20 minutes.In Feb, there were diversions on Noida and Yamuna expressways when chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Union IT and electronics minister Ashwini Vaishnaw attended the foundation ceremony of the HCL-Foxconn semiconductor manufacturing unit in YEIDA Sector 28.The largest disruption came on March 28, 2026, when extensive restrictions and diversions were enforced across the Noida-Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway corridors for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to inaugurate Jewar airport.Beyond convoy movements, four major international events at India Expo Centre and Expo Mart requiring special traffic management plans repeatedly caused congestion around Knowledge Park, Pari Chowk, and Noida Expressway corridor throughout the year.