Last-minute rush to pay electricity bills caused traffic chaos on major Gurugram stretches on Thursday. Congestion was reported outside Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Offices (DHBVN) on Pataudi road, Old Delhi Gurugram road and Badshahpur-Sohna road between 9am and 1.30pm as two-wheelers and four-wheelers flocking both sides of the road.

Officials blamed the rush on commuters, who are yet to switch to smart metres. “During the last four days of bill payment, a significant number of consumers, unaware of online methods, show up to pay bills manually at counters,” said Sahil Garg, sub-divisional officer at DHBVN’s New Colony branch.

According to residents, people wait in long queues to make bill payment as the four sub-divisional offices – New Colony, Sector 37, Kadipur and Manesar – run from the same building. “Cars are parked in a long queue on both sides of the Pataudi road during the early morning hours. It takes almost an hour to reach the office and the added time in queues further makes it challenging to pay bills before the deadline,” said Rajesh Ghera, a resident of Manesar.

To reduce congestion on stretch, the traffic police barricaded the lane at Jagdeep Singh Yadav Marg, further restricting vehicle movement from Old Gurugram road. “We avoid coming to the stretch due to heavy traffic. Even repeated signals increase the waiting time,” said Haider, an auto-driver.

Commuters said they were forced to take long routes to travel near Kadipur and Sadar Bazaar areas due to prolonged congestion on the road connecting with the DHBVN office. “Some areas in Kadipur still rely on conventional metres and remain disconnected from the central digital monitoring network,” a senior official said.

Garg said frequent awareness campaigns are conducted among consumers to adopt online methods of payment. “Anyone can call 7082102200 from their registered mobile number to access the link to make a payment online. E-wallets can come in handy for quick payments,” he said.

A zonal officer of the traffic police said that on-ground enforcements clear the stretch of any illegal parking. “Challan drives are carried during the bill payment days to ensure that motorists follow norms,” he said.