LUCKNOW, Aug. 3 -- A spell of heavy rain on Saturday afternoon unleashed traffic chaos on Lucknowites as commuters waited for over an hour in long snarls and gridlocks on major roads. Serpentine queues of cars were witnessed across key routes, including Kamta, Chinhat crossing, the entire Old City stretch from Nakhas to Chowk and even in areas with wide roads like Gomti Nagar's Vibhuti Khand where traffic crawled through jam-packed intersections and choked lanes. The arterial stretch from Utrethia to Mohanlalganj near the PGI crossing was among the worst affected. "There was total chaos on the roads. It took me over two hours to get from Kamta to Alambagh," said Rohit Shukla, a daily commuter. Two-wheelers were seen zigzagging through narrow gaps between vehicles, while buses and heavy vehicles blocked intersections. Auto-rickshaws and taxis were either unavailable or charging exorbitant fares due to the gridlock. School vans and office cabs added to the congestion. "My son's school bus was stuck at Chinhat crossing for over an hour. We finally decided to pick him up ourselves," said Priya Mehrotra, a parent from Indira Nagar. According to the traffic police, efforts were under way to decongest critical junctions. "We have deployed additional personnel at high-traffic zones and are working to streamline vehicle movement. The rain complicated the situation, but we are monitoring it in real time," said DCP Traffic Kamlesh Dixit. While authorities claimed action was being taken, commuters demanded long-term traffic management solutions. "Rain is not new to this city. What's shocking is how easily things go haywire," said a driver near Hazratganj....