An Internet shutdown amid heightened security restrictions in central Delhi on Saturday (October 10) left commuters struggling to access navigation apps and make digital payments, autorickshaw drivers without bookings and tourists unable to reach their hotels.

Along Janpath, passengers struggled to find their way to their destinations, while tourists carrying suitcases searched for accommodation in Connaught Place. Several people heading to the protest against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls said they were dropped off kilometres short of their destinations as drivers struggled to access navigation apps and passengers could not complete digital payments.

“Idhar location, paisa kuch nahi pata chal raha (I cannot figure out the route or fare here),” an autorickshaw driver told a passenger on Janpath.

The passenger, who had travelled to participate in the protest, said he was stranded and unsure how to reach Jantar Mantar. “I don’t know the way to Jantar Mantar from here. It was showing three kilometres when I last checked maps before the Internet shut down. Now I don’t know how to pay him or navigate my way,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Vikas, another protester who had booked a Rapido bike taxi, said his driver had offered to let him pay later.

“I took a Rapido bike to come to the protest, and we realised after reaching here that the Internet was not working. He dropped me off at the nearest location and told me I could pay him later in the night, after I had internet connectivity. I will pay him extra for the kind gesture,” he said.

Business takes a hit

For autorickshaw drivers, the disruption meant losing app-based bookings and potential passengers on the streets. Jagjit, an autorickshaw driver operating in Connaught Place, said business had come to a near standstill, with road restrictions further limiting his ability to pick up and drop off passengers.

“I have lost a significant amount of business. Usually, I take at least 30–40 trips within Connaught Place, but today no bookings have come in. With the routes blocked, we are unable to take passengers through the area either,” he said.

Tourists left stranded

The shutdown also caused difficulties for visitors unfamiliar with the area, particularly those trying to reach hotels in the restricted zone. Near Shivaji Stadium metro station, a tourist couple with a booking at a private hotel in Connaught Place said police personnel were not allowing them to proceed without proof of their reservation. Unable to access their booking details online, they struggled to establish that they had a reason to enter the area.

“Our hotel is right in this street,” the man said, pointing towards a road near the metro station. “But the police are not letting us in. They are asking for proof of our booking, but the Internet is shut here and I am unable to access my tickets in my e-mail or even through the app. Now we are stranded. We are trying to find a place with internet to at least get a sense of things here,” said the couple.

Elsewhere in Connaught Place, families who had arrived in the Capital were seen pulling suitcases along pavements as they searched for accommodation. With transport difficult to arrange and online booking platforms inaccessible, some were unsure where they would spend the night.

Madhav, a tourist who had arrived from Jhansi that morning, said his family had struggled to find an autorickshaw to Connaught Place. Once there, they were unable to arrange accommodation.

“We came to Delhi this morning from Jhansi, and at first, we could not get an auto to Connaught Place. When we finally got one, we were unable to book a hotel and are now trying to find a place to stay,” he said.