LUCKNOW, Jan. 8 -- Moving into top gear, senior Lucknow police officials, along with their teams, have started manning key intersections in the state capital till late in the evening in a bid to ease traffic congestion, which had peaked on the New Year's Day and drawn criticism from Lucknowites. The move comes as senior police officers have ordered the deployment of personnel from 54 police stations, along with traffic department teams, from 5 pm to as late as 10 pm to manage traffic flow and ensure the situation does not spiral out of control. On Tuesday, DCP East Shashank Singh and DCP Traffic Kamlesh Dixit hit the streets. On Wednesday also, senior officials, including Singh and Dixit, took stock of the situation on the ground. The choke points at which deployment has been ordered during peak hours includes Kamta, Kathauta, Hazratganj, Polytechnic, Munshipulia, and Ahimamau. The police personnel have also been ordered to check suspicious vehicles with heavy force. Operations at Qaiserbagh circle targeted illegal parking, carts, and stalls encroaching on roads. Vehicles were towed and fines imposed as per regulations. On Monday, around 7,000 challans were issued and there were 5051 challans on Tuesday, primarily targeting two-wheelers violating traffic norms. "Continuing the drive, a total of 4,048 challans were issued on Wednesday alone. Vehicles flouting rules, including prohibited e-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, and other errant vehicles, were fined, and in some cases, seized," said DCP Traffic Kamlesh Dixit. Lucknow police commissioner Amrendra Kumar Sengar said the crackdown on traffic violations and illegal encroachments would continue, emphasising that coordinated police presence and strict enforcement aim to make city roads safer and more navigable. The commissionerate on Sunday carried out a reshuffle in the traffic department following widespread traffic chaos across the city on New Year's Day. Five senior police officers were transferred with immediate effect, with key changes made in traffic-related postings. Raghvendra Singh was shifted from ADCP (High Court Security) to ADCP (Traffic), while Ashok Kumar Singh was moved from ADCP (Traffic) to ADCP (High Court Security). At the ACP level, Shashi Prakash Mishra was posted as ACP (Traffic), replacing Surendra Kumar Sharma, who was transferred as ACP (Alambagh). On Saturday also, disciplinary action was taken against several police personnel for alleged negligence in removing roadside encroachments in Old Lucknow. DCP West Vishwajeet Srivastava ordered the line attachment of the in-charges of Satkhanda, Rumi Gate and Hussainabad police outposts....