Wednesday, Dec 29, 2010
After a girl made a complaint in the Delhi Traffic Police Facebook page that she had witnessed rash driving in south Delhi, stern action was taken and a 19-year-old management student and his retired ex-army man father were both issued challans.
"We received a complaint from a girl on Saturday that she had seen two cars racing in the Hauz Khas to Gurgaon stretch and had to stop her car as she would have been hit otherwise. She was able to provide the licence plate number of one of the cars, a Honda City. We tracked down the owner of the car to Rajouri Garden and discovered that his 19-year-old son had been driving the car on that date. Shockingly, he only had a learner's licence and that too had been issued on Monday, which means that he was not carrying a licence on the day of the complaint.
"We have issued a challan against the boy for rash and dangerous driving and a challan against the father for allowing an unauthorized person to drive," said joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyendra Garg.
The boy, who studies in a management institute in Gurgaon, allegedly confessed to having driven rashly and was fined Rs 1500, while his father has been fined Rs 1000. Traffic officials also wrote to the licensing authority asking them not to make the errant driver's licence permanent. When the father of the driver was asked why he allowed his son to drive without a licence, he reportedly could offer only flimsy excuses.
This is not an isolated incident but a well-known feature of Delhi roads. Since March 2010, a staggering 29,226 persons have been issued challans for allowing unauthorized persons to drive, including minors or those not carrying licences. Another 31,206 persons have been caught driving without licence, claimed senior traffic officials. "We find so many people driving without a licence in Delhi that it is a wonder that people apply for licences at all. The problem has assumed glaring proportions," complained a senior traffic official.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/After-virtual-complaint-traffic-challan-issued/articleshow/7181890.cms#ixzz19U0XkJoI
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Cop turns down bribe, earns reward
Friday, Dec 24, 2010
He refused a bribe of Rs 500, but earned a Rs 2,000 reward from his seniors. An alert Delhi traffic police constable helped catch a notorious criminal from Sangam Vihar area. The criminal was caught because he was riding a motorcycle without a number plate. "When the constable stopped the offender, he offered him a bribe of Rs 500. He told the constable that he belonged to a group of pickpockets who operates in Blueline buses and promised him a cut every month," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
However, the officer said the constable turned down his offer.
During investigations, it was found that the offender was a known criminal from Sangam Vihar area. The other person, accompanying the offender, was also wanted in several criminal cases.
The two were detained and handed over to the local police.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cop-turns-down-bribe-earns-reward/Article1-642504.aspx
He refused a bribe of Rs 500, but earned a Rs 2,000 reward from his seniors. An alert Delhi traffic police constable helped catch a notorious criminal from Sangam Vihar area. The criminal was caught because he was riding a motorcycle without a number plate. "When the constable stopped the offender, he offered him a bribe of Rs 500. He told the constable that he belonged to a group of pickpockets who operates in Blueline buses and promised him a cut every month," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
However, the officer said the constable turned down his offer.
During investigations, it was found that the offender was a known criminal from Sangam Vihar area. The other person, accompanying the offender, was also wanted in several criminal cases.
The two were detained and handed over to the local police.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cop-turns-down-bribe-earns-reward/Article1-642504.aspx
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
BJP rally today, expect traffic restrictions
Wednesday, Dec 22, 2010
In the wake of the National Democratic Alliance's mass rally against corruption on Wednesday, the Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory for commuters travelling through Central Delhi and New Delhi. Major congestion is expected on ways leading up to the Ramlila Ground in Old Delhi.
According to the advisory, buses and other heavy vehicles coming from Rajghat side and bound for Ajmeri Gate would be diverted on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg. "City buses coming from Paharganj side and bound for Ajmeri Gate and beyond will be terminated at Ajmeri Gate. Buses coming from Connaught Place and Minto Bridge and bound for Kamla Market will be diverted on DDU Marg," a statement issued by the Traffic Police said.
While no buses would be allowed on the Ranjit Singh flyover, restrictions would be imposed on the movement of vehicles in the vicinity of Ramlila Grounds at the time of the dispersal of the rally.
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"Around 15,000 to 20,000 people are expected to participate and many buses and cars will be coming to the rally. Congestion is expected on Ring Road, BSZ Marg, DDU Marg, JLN Marg, Ranjeet Singh flyover, Bhavbhuti Marg, etc. People should avoid coming to these roads between 11am and 4 pm, if possible. Public transport will be preferable, particularly the Metro," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg said.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjp-rally-today-expect-traffic-restrictions/727807/
In the wake of the National Democratic Alliance's mass rally against corruption on Wednesday, the Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory for commuters travelling through Central Delhi and New Delhi. Major congestion is expected on ways leading up to the Ramlila Ground in Old Delhi.
According to the advisory, buses and other heavy vehicles coming from Rajghat side and bound for Ajmeri Gate would be diverted on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg. "City buses coming from Paharganj side and bound for Ajmeri Gate and beyond will be terminated at Ajmeri Gate. Buses coming from Connaught Place and Minto Bridge and bound for Kamla Market will be diverted on DDU Marg," a statement issued by the Traffic Police said.
While no buses would be allowed on the Ranjit Singh flyover, restrictions would be imposed on the movement of vehicles in the vicinity of Ramlila Grounds at the time of the dispersal of the rally.
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"Around 15,000 to 20,000 people are expected to participate and many buses and cars will be coming to the rally. Congestion is expected on Ring Road, BSZ Marg, DDU Marg, JLN Marg, Ranjeet Singh flyover, Bhavbhuti Marg, etc. People should avoid coming to these roads between 11am and 4 pm, if possible. Public transport will be preferable, particularly the Metro," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg said.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjp-rally-today-expect-traffic-restrictions/727807/
Create emergency lanes for VIP movement, say shocked Delhi residents
Tuesday, Dec 21, 2010
Delhi residents are shocked at the third case of a person dying on his way to hospital after being caught in traffic restrictions imposed for the prime minister's convoy. Some say special lanes must come up for ambulances and fire engines to ply in such situations.
'This is ridiculous and the most shocking thing is this is not the first time,' Ramesh Rastogi, a professor said after reading about the death of Anil Jain, a resident of Shahadara, who died Sunday.
Discussing the incident with fellow commuters in the Metro Tuesday morning, Rastogi said: 'Traffic restrictions because of VIP movement is a part of everyday life, but someone losing his life because of this is a very serious issue'.
Agreed Mahesh Saini, a businessman. 'Can you imagine the helplessness of the family while waiting for the traffic to clear so they could rush him to hospital? And this is the third time the prime minister's cavalcade has caused the death of a person!' Saini told IANS.
Anil Jain died of a heart attack Sunday while he was on the way to GB Pant Hospital because his ambulance was held up due to traffic restrictions enforced for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's convoy, his family claimed Monday.
Traffic movement was restricted on the Ring Road because of the 83rd Congress plenary at Burari in northwest Delhi. The prime minister travelled to the event by road on Sunday, but took a chopper on Monday.
Jain's ambulance was stuck in Rajghat Sunday night as traffic was apparently stopped in anticipation of the prime minister's convoy. His family said they were stopped for almost half-an-hour from 7.45 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. Sunday.
The Prime Minister's Office Monday ordered an inquiry into the incident.
In July this year, the parents of seven-year-old Aman Khan blamed the prime minister's security for their son's death in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh while Manmohan Singh was there for a visit.
In 2009, a 32-year-old man died at the gates of a Chandigarh hospital because medical aid was denied to him, allegedly because of the prime minister's security.
Sarita Raja, a homemaker, said a special lane for emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire engines should be set up.
'If they could do it in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games for the vehicles carrying sportspersons and officials, why not for the common man? A separate lane for ambulances and fire engines will mean saving of precious time and faster access to services and ultimately hundreds of lives saved,' Raja told IANS.
'This is just one incident that has come to the forefront. So often we see ambulances being stuck in traffic and it's just so scary - what if one of my family members were in that vehicle tomorrow? The government must think of special lanes for emergency service vehicles, and that's the norm in most other countries,' said Shruti Hasan, a young professional.
Adiyta Mech, a student, narrated how he missed his entrance exam because of a minister's cavalcade last year.
'I had my law entrance exam in Guwahati, Assam last year and I simple couldn't make it to the centre because I was stuck in the traffic for an hour and half! All because of a minister's convoy and traffic restrictions. Something should be done so that the common man doesn't suffer everytime a VIP goes out on the road,' he said.
Speaking on traffic restrictions, a senior officer of the Delhi Traffic Police said: 'It depends for how long the dignitary stays at a function. On the basis of that we decide for how long the vehicular movement has to be restricted or if traffic is diverted to another route.
'We have more traffic jams happening after a VIP route is opened, especially if the road is narrow and congested,' the officer admitted.
Original news source http://www.sify.com/news/create-emergency-lanes-for-vip-movement-say-shocked-delhi-residents-news-national-kmvpklfbcaf.html
Delhi residents are shocked at the third case of a person dying on his way to hospital after being caught in traffic restrictions imposed for the prime minister's convoy. Some say special lanes must come up for ambulances and fire engines to ply in such situations.
'This is ridiculous and the most shocking thing is this is not the first time,' Ramesh Rastogi, a professor said after reading about the death of Anil Jain, a resident of Shahadara, who died Sunday.
Discussing the incident with fellow commuters in the Metro Tuesday morning, Rastogi said: 'Traffic restrictions because of VIP movement is a part of everyday life, but someone losing his life because of this is a very serious issue'.
Agreed Mahesh Saini, a businessman. 'Can you imagine the helplessness of the family while waiting for the traffic to clear so they could rush him to hospital? And this is the third time the prime minister's cavalcade has caused the death of a person!' Saini told IANS.
Anil Jain died of a heart attack Sunday while he was on the way to GB Pant Hospital because his ambulance was held up due to traffic restrictions enforced for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's convoy, his family claimed Monday.
Traffic movement was restricted on the Ring Road because of the 83rd Congress plenary at Burari in northwest Delhi. The prime minister travelled to the event by road on Sunday, but took a chopper on Monday.
Jain's ambulance was stuck in Rajghat Sunday night as traffic was apparently stopped in anticipation of the prime minister's convoy. His family said they were stopped for almost half-an-hour from 7.45 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. Sunday.
The Prime Minister's Office Monday ordered an inquiry into the incident.
In July this year, the parents of seven-year-old Aman Khan blamed the prime minister's security for their son's death in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh while Manmohan Singh was there for a visit.
In 2009, a 32-year-old man died at the gates of a Chandigarh hospital because medical aid was denied to him, allegedly because of the prime minister's security.
Sarita Raja, a homemaker, said a special lane for emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire engines should be set up.
'If they could do it in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games for the vehicles carrying sportspersons and officials, why not for the common man? A separate lane for ambulances and fire engines will mean saving of precious time and faster access to services and ultimately hundreds of lives saved,' Raja told IANS.
'This is just one incident that has come to the forefront. So often we see ambulances being stuck in traffic and it's just so scary - what if one of my family members were in that vehicle tomorrow? The government must think of special lanes for emergency service vehicles, and that's the norm in most other countries,' said Shruti Hasan, a young professional.
Adiyta Mech, a student, narrated how he missed his entrance exam because of a minister's cavalcade last year.
'I had my law entrance exam in Guwahati, Assam last year and I simple couldn't make it to the centre because I was stuck in the traffic for an hour and half! All because of a minister's convoy and traffic restrictions. Something should be done so that the common man doesn't suffer everytime a VIP goes out on the road,' he said.
Speaking on traffic restrictions, a senior officer of the Delhi Traffic Police said: 'It depends for how long the dignitary stays at a function. On the basis of that we decide for how long the vehicular movement has to be restricted or if traffic is diverted to another route.
'We have more traffic jams happening after a VIP route is opened, especially if the road is narrow and congested,' the officer admitted.
Original news source http://www.sify.com/news/create-emergency-lanes-for-vip-movement-say-shocked-delhi-residents-news-national-kmvpklfbcaf.html
In Delhi, traffic stops for only select VVIPs (With PMO orders inquiry into patient's death)
Monday, Dec 20, 2010
In a city of movers and shakers, the Delhi traffic police has a very select list of VVIPs for whom traffic is stopped when their cavalcades pass, an officer said.
The list, the officer said, includes the convoys of President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Besides, traffic is also diverted for rallies, religious procession and marathons.
The officer said that traffic is usually stopped for a maximum of five to 10 minutes.
'It depends for how long the dignitary stays at the spot of function. On the basis of that we decide for how long the vehicular movement has to be restricted, or the traffic is diverted to another route,' the officer added.
But, after the traffic is allowed to move, there is often a logjam as there is a long line of vehicles trying to get ahead first.
'We have more traffic jams happening after a VIP route is opened, especially if the road is narrow and congested,' the officer said.
Anil Jain, a resident of Shahadara, had died of heart attack Sunday while he was on the way to GB Pant Hospital because his ambulance was held up due to traffic restrictions enforced for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's convoy, his family claimed Monday.
The ambulance was stuck in Rajghat Sunday night as the traffic was stopped to let the prime minister's convoy through. His family said they were stopped for almost half-an-hour from 7.45 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. Sunday.
The Prime Minister's Office Monday ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Original news source http://www.sify.com/news/in-delhi-traffic-stops-for-only-select-vvips-with-pmo-orders-inquiry-into-patient-s-death-news-national-kmuvEijeaci.html
In a city of movers and shakers, the Delhi traffic police has a very select list of VVIPs for whom traffic is stopped when their cavalcades pass, an officer said.
The list, the officer said, includes the convoys of President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Besides, traffic is also diverted for rallies, religious procession and marathons.
The officer said that traffic is usually stopped for a maximum of five to 10 minutes.
'It depends for how long the dignitary stays at the spot of function. On the basis of that we decide for how long the vehicular movement has to be restricted, or the traffic is diverted to another route,' the officer added.
But, after the traffic is allowed to move, there is often a logjam as there is a long line of vehicles trying to get ahead first.
'We have more traffic jams happening after a VIP route is opened, especially if the road is narrow and congested,' the officer said.
Anil Jain, a resident of Shahadara, had died of heart attack Sunday while he was on the way to GB Pant Hospital because his ambulance was held up due to traffic restrictions enforced for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's convoy, his family claimed Monday.
The ambulance was stuck in Rajghat Sunday night as the traffic was stopped to let the prime minister's convoy through. His family said they were stopped for almost half-an-hour from 7.45 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. Sunday.
The Prime Minister's Office Monday ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Original news source http://www.sify.com/news/in-delhi-traffic-stops-for-only-select-vvips-with-pmo-orders-inquiry-into-patient-s-death-news-national-kmuvEijeaci.html
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Traffic violations may soon cost Delhiites dearer
Sunday, Dec 19, 2010
Jumping the traffic signal, over-speeding or driving without helmet will soon burn a deep hole in your pocket, with the penalty being at least three times of what you pay presently for any violation of traffic norms.
"Settling for R100 or so violation of traffic norms is going to be a matter of past," said a senior traffic police officer.
After being successful in imposing a penalty of R2000 under a special provision of the Motor Vehicles Act on entering lanes dedicated for Commonwealth Games traffic, the Delhi traffic police have proposed an amendment in penalty for all kinds of traffic norm violations in a bid to streamline traffic management. The proposal has been given in-principle nod by members of the Expert Committee on Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, which would be finalised in a high level meeting on December 30.
The expert committee was formed by the ministry of road transport and highways to review all aspects of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
"Our proposal was to increase the penalty for traffic norm violation by at least five times," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic), who is a member of the expert committee.
SK Dash, joint secretary, department of road transport and highways said, "The Motor Vehicle Act Amendment Bill would be ready within a week or so.
The committee would be proposing an increase of penalty by three times for traffic norm violation, among other suggested amendments in the act."
Original news source http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HD/2010/12/16/ArticleHtmls/Traffic-violations-may-soon-cost-Delhiites-dearer-16122010003010.shtml?Mode=1
Jumping the traffic signal, over-speeding or driving without helmet will soon burn a deep hole in your pocket, with the penalty being at least three times of what you pay presently for any violation of traffic norms.
"Settling for R100 or so violation of traffic norms is going to be a matter of past," said a senior traffic police officer.
After being successful in imposing a penalty of R2000 under a special provision of the Motor Vehicles Act on entering lanes dedicated for Commonwealth Games traffic, the Delhi traffic police have proposed an amendment in penalty for all kinds of traffic norm violations in a bid to streamline traffic management. The proposal has been given in-principle nod by members of the Expert Committee on Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, which would be finalised in a high level meeting on December 30.
The expert committee was formed by the ministry of road transport and highways to review all aspects of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
"Our proposal was to increase the penalty for traffic norm violation by at least five times," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic), who is a member of the expert committee.
SK Dash, joint secretary, department of road transport and highways said, "The Motor Vehicle Act Amendment Bill would be ready within a week or so.
The committee would be proposing an increase of penalty by three times for traffic norm violation, among other suggested amendments in the act."
Original news source http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HD/2010/12/16/ArticleHtmls/Traffic-violations-may-soon-cost-Delhiites-dearer-16122010003010.shtml?Mode=1
Cops to get number plate reader
Sunday, Dec 19, 2010
You can choose to run away from paying a fine for traffic violations, but come Christmas, you will no longer be able to hide. Delhi Traffic Police have been holding trials of a vehicle-mounted system that can read number-plates of vehicles. If the system finds that the vehicle has a pending challan, it will set off an alert. Chase-and-challan squads will then chase down the erring vehicle.
"It consists of video cameras which automatically zoom in on and record number plate data and transfer it to a central database. The instrument can either be mounted on a vehicle or can stationary," said the officer.
The traffic police have conducted successful trials as far as vehicle recognition is concerned. Trials in which a dummy target is apprehended are yet to be conducted.
"This device will help us make people pay due attention to the notices apart from sending the case to court after a certain time," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
More than 98,000 challans issued between January and June are yet to be paid. Police will ring in the Christmas-New Year season by going after errant drivers.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cops-to-get-number-plate-reader/Article1-640161.aspx
You can choose to run away from paying a fine for traffic violations, but come Christmas, you will no longer be able to hide. Delhi Traffic Police have been holding trials of a vehicle-mounted system that can read number-plates of vehicles. If the system finds that the vehicle has a pending challan, it will set off an alert. Chase-and-challan squads will then chase down the erring vehicle.
"It consists of video cameras which automatically zoom in on and record number plate data and transfer it to a central database. The instrument can either be mounted on a vehicle or can stationary," said the officer.
The traffic police have conducted successful trials as far as vehicle recognition is concerned. Trials in which a dummy target is apprehended are yet to be conducted.
"This device will help us make people pay due attention to the notices apart from sending the case to court after a certain time," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
More than 98,000 challans issued between January and June are yet to be paid. Police will ring in the Christmas-New Year season by going after errant drivers.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cops-to-get-number-plate-reader/Article1-640161.aspx
Thursday, December 16, 2010
DMRC work damaging tomb, claims DUAC
Friday, Dec 17, 2010
After the tussle over Yamuna Bank staff quarters, Delhi Metro has run into trouble with Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) again. The DUAC has found that DMRC continued with construction of a multi-storey parking lot opposite Delhi High Court despite a stop-work notice issued by NDMC a year ago. A 16th-century tomb located in the centre of the construction work site has become a casualty of DMRC's defiance with heritage experts saying the damage done to the monument is beyond repairs. DUAC has officially rejected the parking lot proposal now.
The tomb, dating back to Sher Shah's period, originally stood on a raised plinth, most of which has been broken due to DMRC's digging work for an under-ground parking. Wide cracks can be seen on the facade of the structure and it seems that scaffoldings erected inside the tomb are the only reason why the structure is still standing. At least two cranes are working on the site round-the-clock.
"For the last one year, DMRC has been requested to stop construction work so that the parking lot proposal can be properly scrutinized but despite giving several assurances, DMRC never stopped work. The condition of the monument has deteriorated so much now that its preservation is no longer possible. The damage is too great," DUAC member and conservationist Ratish Nanda told TOI.
In a recent meeting, NDMC discussed DMRC's refusal to stop construction work. Letters have been written to the L-G, chief minister and the ministry of urban development to intervene in the matter about the continued construction of the parking lot by DMRC without DUAC or NDMC approval. "The said letter by NDMC was taken on record by the Commission. It mentions that DMRC began work at the site without obtaining clearances. Even NDMC's stop-work notice was not complied with," said a DUAC official.
While DMRC informed the Commission that construction work was expedited in view of instructions of Delhi High Court, a senior official told TOI it was not possible for them to suspend work mid-way as it was a deep underground work. Ironically, DMRC also insisted the construction work was for the betterment of the tomb which they described as "just an old dilapidated structure" that is neither under the Central Act of 1958 nor the 2004 Act of Ancient Monuments of the Delhi government.
"The building was already in a very dilapidated condition and it is incorrect to say that its condition has deteriorated due to this work. We have safeguarded it by putting scaffoldings under the supervision of Archaeological Survey of India," said a DMRC official, adding that the agency had deposited Rs 70 lakh with the heritage body for the monument's upkeep. ASI officials said they would take up conservation work on the tomb at the earliest.
DMRC said they continued with work only due to public interest and DUAC had "not given any point of dissatisfaction but rejected the project only on technical grounds".
"This monument was a picture of utter neglect before we came on scene and it could have fallen but for us. DUAC has in fact said it is satisfied with the measures taken by us with regards to safeguarding and preservation of this old tomb. It is an approved project and NDMC issued an in-principle approval in September 2008," claimed a DMRC official.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/DMRC-work-damaging-tomb-claims-DUAC/articleshow/7115012.cms#ixzz18LPh8Qur
After the tussle over Yamuna Bank staff quarters, Delhi Metro has run into trouble with Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) again. The DUAC has found that DMRC continued with construction of a multi-storey parking lot opposite Delhi High Court despite a stop-work notice issued by NDMC a year ago. A 16th-century tomb located in the centre of the construction work site has become a casualty of DMRC's defiance with heritage experts saying the damage done to the monument is beyond repairs. DUAC has officially rejected the parking lot proposal now.
The tomb, dating back to Sher Shah's period, originally stood on a raised plinth, most of which has been broken due to DMRC's digging work for an under-ground parking. Wide cracks can be seen on the facade of the structure and it seems that scaffoldings erected inside the tomb are the only reason why the structure is still standing. At least two cranes are working on the site round-the-clock.
"For the last one year, DMRC has been requested to stop construction work so that the parking lot proposal can be properly scrutinized but despite giving several assurances, DMRC never stopped work. The condition of the monument has deteriorated so much now that its preservation is no longer possible. The damage is too great," DUAC member and conservationist Ratish Nanda told TOI.
In a recent meeting, NDMC discussed DMRC's refusal to stop construction work. Letters have been written to the L-G, chief minister and the ministry of urban development to intervene in the matter about the continued construction of the parking lot by DMRC without DUAC or NDMC approval. "The said letter by NDMC was taken on record by the Commission. It mentions that DMRC began work at the site without obtaining clearances. Even NDMC's stop-work notice was not complied with," said a DUAC official.
While DMRC informed the Commission that construction work was expedited in view of instructions of Delhi High Court, a senior official told TOI it was not possible for them to suspend work mid-way as it was a deep underground work. Ironically, DMRC also insisted the construction work was for the betterment of the tomb which they described as "just an old dilapidated structure" that is neither under the Central Act of 1958 nor the 2004 Act of Ancient Monuments of the Delhi government.
"The building was already in a very dilapidated condition and it is incorrect to say that its condition has deteriorated due to this work. We have safeguarded it by putting scaffoldings under the supervision of Archaeological Survey of India," said a DMRC official, adding that the agency had deposited Rs 70 lakh with the heritage body for the monument's upkeep. ASI officials said they would take up conservation work on the tomb at the earliest.
DMRC said they continued with work only due to public interest and DUAC had "not given any point of dissatisfaction but rejected the project only on technical grounds".
"This monument was a picture of utter neglect before we came on scene and it could have fallen but for us. DUAC has in fact said it is satisfied with the measures taken by us with regards to safeguarding and preservation of this old tomb. It is an approved project and NDMC issued an in-principle approval in September 2008," claimed a DMRC official.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/DMRC-work-damaging-tomb-claims-DUAC/articleshow/7115012.cms#ixzz18LPh8Qur
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Traffic violations to soon cost Delhiites dearer
Thursday, Dec 16, 2010
Jumping the traffic signal, over-speeding or driving without helmet will soon burn a deep hole in your pocket, with the penalty being at least three times of what you pay presently for any violation of traffic norms. "Settling for R100 or so violation of traffic norms is going to be a matter of past," said a senior traffic police officer.
After being successful in imposing a penalty of R2000 under a special provision of the Motor Vehicles Act on entering lanes dedicated for Commonwealth Games traffic, the Delhi traffic police have proposed an amendment in penalty for all kinds of traffic norm violations in a bid to streamline traffic management.
The proposal has been given in-principle nod by members of the Expert Committee on Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, which would be finalised in a high level meeting on December 30.
The expert committee was formed by the ministry of road transport and highways to review all aspects of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
"Our proposal was to increase the penalty for traffic norm violation by at least five times. All members of the committee have come to a consensus to revise the penalty," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic), who is a member of the expert committee.
SK Dash, joint secretary, department of road transport and highways said, "The Motor Vehicle Act Amendment Bill would be ready within a week or so. The committee would be proposing an increase of penalty by three times for traffic norm violation, among other suggested amendments in the act."
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-violations-to-soon-cost-Delhiites-dearer/Article1-638939.aspx
Jumping the traffic signal, over-speeding or driving without helmet will soon burn a deep hole in your pocket, with the penalty being at least three times of what you pay presently for any violation of traffic norms. "Settling for R100 or so violation of traffic norms is going to be a matter of past," said a senior traffic police officer.
After being successful in imposing a penalty of R2000 under a special provision of the Motor Vehicles Act on entering lanes dedicated for Commonwealth Games traffic, the Delhi traffic police have proposed an amendment in penalty for all kinds of traffic norm violations in a bid to streamline traffic management.
The proposal has been given in-principle nod by members of the Expert Committee on Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, which would be finalised in a high level meeting on December 30.
The expert committee was formed by the ministry of road transport and highways to review all aspects of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
"Our proposal was to increase the penalty for traffic norm violation by at least five times. All members of the committee have come to a consensus to revise the penalty," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic), who is a member of the expert committee.
SK Dash, joint secretary, department of road transport and highways said, "The Motor Vehicle Act Amendment Bill would be ready within a week or so. The committee would be proposing an increase of penalty by three times for traffic norm violation, among other suggested amendments in the act."
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-violations-to-soon-cost-Delhiites-dearer/Article1-638939.aspx
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Traffic cops want transparency
Wednesday, Dec 15, 2010
After the recent incidents of abduction and rape of women using automobiles, Delhi traffic police has decided to take some initiative.
On Tuesday, Delhi traffic police went on a special drive against vehicles with tinted glasses and challaned 1,206 vehicles. This is, according to Delhi traffic police, a record by itself. In view of recent rape incidents in moving cars, Delhi traffic police have initiated a special drive against those using tinted glasses in their vehicles.
According to the Delhi Traffic police, Use of dark, black or reflective glasses in vehicles is not permitted as per law. As provided in Rule 100 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, the glass of windscreen and rear window of motor vehicles should have a visibility of at least 70 per cent and that of side windows a minimum visibility of 50 per cent.
The front windscreen shall be of laminated safety glass, whose pieces do not fly in the event of a crash and edges would be less jagged than in case of ordinary glass.
"It's our request to the citizen that to make sure that their front and rear windshields must have minimum 70 per cent transparency and side windows have minimum 50 per cent transparency for avoiding challans. And avoid using fancy and defective number plates. We also are planning to ban the workers who deal in these kinds of accessories on roads.
We are about to revised and reinforce the Motor Vehicle Act," said Satendera Garg, Joint CP (Traffic), Delhi. In this regard MiD DAY asked the question to the public, whether they think authorities should ban dark and tinted glasses on cars in Delhi?
Original news source http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/dec/151210-News-Delhi-1200-vehicles-Traffic-cops-tinted-glasses.htm
After the recent incidents of abduction and rape of women using automobiles, Delhi traffic police has decided to take some initiative.
On Tuesday, Delhi traffic police went on a special drive against vehicles with tinted glasses and challaned 1,206 vehicles. This is, according to Delhi traffic police, a record by itself. In view of recent rape incidents in moving cars, Delhi traffic police have initiated a special drive against those using tinted glasses in their vehicles.
According to the Delhi Traffic police, Use of dark, black or reflective glasses in vehicles is not permitted as per law. As provided in Rule 100 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, the glass of windscreen and rear window of motor vehicles should have a visibility of at least 70 per cent and that of side windows a minimum visibility of 50 per cent.
The front windscreen shall be of laminated safety glass, whose pieces do not fly in the event of a crash and edges would be less jagged than in case of ordinary glass.
"It's our request to the citizen that to make sure that their front and rear windshields must have minimum 70 per cent transparency and side windows have minimum 50 per cent transparency for avoiding challans. And avoid using fancy and defective number plates. We also are planning to ban the workers who deal in these kinds of accessories on roads.
We are about to revised and reinforce the Motor Vehicle Act," said Satendera Garg, Joint CP (Traffic), Delhi. In this regard MiD DAY asked the question to the public, whether they think authorities should ban dark and tinted glasses on cars in Delhi?
Original news source http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/dec/151210-News-Delhi-1200-vehicles-Traffic-cops-tinted-glasses.htm
Traffic advisory for Wen’s visit
Tuesday, Dec 14, 2010
The Delhi Traffic Police Tuesday advised residents to avoid certain stretches of the capital roads and start well in advance to reach their destination in time as traffic movement is likely to be affected during the three-day visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao starting Wednesday.
'Traffic on both the carriageways will be closed during the movement of the visiting dignitary,' said Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
The Chinese premier will be visiting Rajghat Thursday morning, due to which congestion is expected in the vicinity including on Ring Road, at Delhi Gate and ITO, the advisory said.
'People are advised to avoid Rajghat in the morning and New Delhi areas during the day. If the trip is essential, they should leave for their destination 10 to 15 minutes earlier than their usual time,' a traffic official said.
Traffic circulation at C-Hexagon India Gate will be altered for half an hour Thursday afternoon when traffic coming from Rajpath will move to inner circle of India Gate and exit at Tilak Marg, the advisory said.
'There will be no movement from Ashok Road and Kasturba Gandhi Marg to the C-Hexagon at that time and traffic will be diverted from Jaswant Singh Road Place and intersection of K.G. Marg and Ferozshah Road,' a police official said.
Police also expect Tibetan protesters to stage demonstrations outside the Chinese embassy in Chanakyapuri. As a result, security has also been stepped in the area with a special focus on managing traffic.
Original news source http://www.indiatalkies.com/2010/12/traffic-advisory-wens-visit.html
The Delhi Traffic Police Tuesday advised residents to avoid certain stretches of the capital roads and start well in advance to reach their destination in time as traffic movement is likely to be affected during the three-day visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao starting Wednesday.
'Traffic on both the carriageways will be closed during the movement of the visiting dignitary,' said Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
The Chinese premier will be visiting Rajghat Thursday morning, due to which congestion is expected in the vicinity including on Ring Road, at Delhi Gate and ITO, the advisory said.
'People are advised to avoid Rajghat in the morning and New Delhi areas during the day. If the trip is essential, they should leave for their destination 10 to 15 minutes earlier than their usual time,' a traffic official said.
Traffic circulation at C-Hexagon India Gate will be altered for half an hour Thursday afternoon when traffic coming from Rajpath will move to inner circle of India Gate and exit at Tilak Marg, the advisory said.
'There will be no movement from Ashok Road and Kasturba Gandhi Marg to the C-Hexagon at that time and traffic will be diverted from Jaswant Singh Road Place and intersection of K.G. Marg and Ferozshah Road,' a police official said.
Police also expect Tibetan protesters to stage demonstrations outside the Chinese embassy in Chanakyapuri. As a result, security has also been stepped in the area with a special focus on managing traffic.
Original news source http://www.indiatalkies.com/2010/12/traffic-advisory-wens-visit.html
Monday, December 13, 2010
Cops see red, crack down on vehicles with tinted glasses
Tuesday, Dec 14, 2010
In view of the Sultanpuri rape incident, in which the accused drove around in a car with tinted glasses, the Delhi traffic police have decided to crackdown on vehicles with tinted glasses. On Tuesday, the traffic police will carry out a massive drive against such vehicles across the capital.
Senior traffic officials say that this time around, they will not turn a blind eye to any government vehicles or low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses fitted with tinted glasses.
"We will make sure that no vehicle with tinted glasses is spared being challaned. The drive will continue till we ensure there is no such car left in the city," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
"Using tinted glasses is a violation of traffic norms and poses a threat to women's safety," added Garg.
Till recently, many low-floor DTC buses were allowed to use tinted glasses temporarily while ferrying athletes during the Commonwealth Games.
After HT reported this violation of traffic norms on October 14, the traffic department gave the DTC a strict deadline of October 31 to remove dark films.
"In the course of the drive, we will prosecute any DTC bus found plying with dark films on glasses," said Garg.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cops-see-red-crack-down-on-vehicles-with-tinted-glasses/Article1-638083.aspx
In view of the Sultanpuri rape incident, in which the accused drove around in a car with tinted glasses, the Delhi traffic police have decided to crackdown on vehicles with tinted glasses. On Tuesday, the traffic police will carry out a massive drive against such vehicles across the capital.
Senior traffic officials say that this time around, they will not turn a blind eye to any government vehicles or low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses fitted with tinted glasses.
"We will make sure that no vehicle with tinted glasses is spared being challaned. The drive will continue till we ensure there is no such car left in the city," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
"Using tinted glasses is a violation of traffic norms and poses a threat to women's safety," added Garg.
Till recently, many low-floor DTC buses were allowed to use tinted glasses temporarily while ferrying athletes during the Commonwealth Games.
After HT reported this violation of traffic norms on October 14, the traffic department gave the DTC a strict deadline of October 31 to remove dark films.
"In the course of the drive, we will prosecute any DTC bus found plying with dark films on glasses," said Garg.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cops-see-red-crack-down-on-vehicles-with-tinted-glasses/Article1-638083.aspx
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Want that licence? Get set for simulated driving
Sunday, Dec 12, 2010
Before you get to hit the roads, Delhi Transport Department will make sure that you get a hang of things in the virtual world. A top official from the department told MiD DAY that simulator training would help in imparting driving license seekers better training and improved skills.
"A large number of driving training institutes have come up in the city. They impart driving training in real world conditions. The problem with it is that as the space is shrinking in the city, proper training can not be imparted. Secondly, when the training is accorded on busy roads, there are chances of accidents and traffic chaos.
Simulator training would help in imparting training and improving skills," said the official. Currently, there are only a handful of institutes, run by auto-manufacturers, who have installed simulators. Other small institutes do not have proper training facilities.
"Guidelines are being worked upon. As per new norms, the applicant will have to go under simulator training for a certain number of hours. There is facility of video recording and keeping the records on the system. The applicant will have to submit the evidence with the local transport authority. It would be examined by the transport department inspectors, who, before taking the test in real world conditions, will also take this into account," said the official.
64 lakh
Total no. of vehicles in Delhi
1000
Cars are registered in the city every day
What's simulator training?
Simulation is the imitation of a real thing, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system. Training simulators include flight simulators for training aircraft pilots, metro train simulator and driving training simulator. Simulation is used when the real system cannot be engaged, because it may not be accessible.
Original news source http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/dec/131210-News-Delhi-Transport-department-specialised-training-wannabe-drivers.htm
Before you get to hit the roads, Delhi Transport Department will make sure that you get a hang of things in the virtual world. A top official from the department told MiD DAY that simulator training would help in imparting driving license seekers better training and improved skills.
"A large number of driving training institutes have come up in the city. They impart driving training in real world conditions. The problem with it is that as the space is shrinking in the city, proper training can not be imparted. Secondly, when the training is accorded on busy roads, there are chances of accidents and traffic chaos.
Simulator training would help in imparting training and improving skills," said the official. Currently, there are only a handful of institutes, run by auto-manufacturers, who have installed simulators. Other small institutes do not have proper training facilities.
"Guidelines are being worked upon. As per new norms, the applicant will have to go under simulator training for a certain number of hours. There is facility of video recording and keeping the records on the system. The applicant will have to submit the evidence with the local transport authority. It would be examined by the transport department inspectors, who, before taking the test in real world conditions, will also take this into account," said the official.
64 lakh
Total no. of vehicles in Delhi
1000
Cars are registered in the city every day
What's simulator training?
Simulation is the imitation of a real thing, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system. Training simulators include flight simulators for training aircraft pilots, metro train simulator and driving training simulator. Simulation is used when the real system cannot be engaged, because it may not be accessible.
Original news source http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/dec/131210-News-Delhi-Transport-department-specialised-training-wannabe-drivers.htm
Saket mall shoppers get parking ticket
Sunday, Dec 12, 2010
Designer labels, expensive perfumes and top-of-the-line SUVs, but no money to pay for parking — this is your mall-crawling Delhiite, unwilling to park in designated parking spaces as it means shelling out extra cash on 'just parking'. This attitude leads to long jams and constant honking on Press Enclave Road, where cars can be seen parked on either side of the road as well in the service lane along the malls, their owners shopping their hearts out inside three expensive Saket malls.
On Saturday, joint commissioner of police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg caused a flutter by swooping down on this stretch with his team. ''Over 50 cars were issued challans for improper parking, obstruction of traffic and not complying with the direction of a government officials — the minimum challan being Rs 600. We are initiating a drive in this area. The service lane can be used as a drop-off lane by TSRs and private vehicles but they should not halt for more than the minimum time taken to get off the vehicle. No vehicles are allowed to stop in the service lane,'' said Garg.
On an average day, and particularly during weekend, while cars wait to enter the malls or remain parked outside, the rest of Press Enclave Road gets steadily more crowded, with commuters from the busy BRT stretch, Panchsheel and other parts of south Delhi heading towards Saket and Mehrauli stuck in a narrow one lane instead of three lanes. With two hospitals located along the road, the jams and the honking are a major menace. Traffic moving from Saket towards BRT, Greater Kailash II and CR Park is also affected with cars parked on the other side as well.
When TOI visited the area on Saturday evening, over 20 red-beacon cars were seen parked in the service lane. One of the car owners even claimed to be the wife of a chief minister. "This is a no-parking zone and strict action will be taken against any violator,'' said Garg.
A case in point was a Gypsy with darkly tinted glasses parked in the service lane, its owner inside the mall. When asked why he had parked in a no-parking zone, he claimed ignorance. ''There were several other cars parked here when I parked and they were all VIP cars. I did not know you couldn't park here. It is my hard luck that I am getting caught, this happens every day,'' claimed the driver, Syed Akram Ali.
Other drivers offered their own excuses. ''Madam has gone inside for 10 minutes. I am just waiting here as she will be back soon. Actually it's an emergency,'' said Santosh, a driver of a Honda Accord. Another driver, Rupesh, at the wheels of a Cadillac, claimed, ''We have parked here and given Rs 20. This is actually a limited parking area.''
Some drivers were unfazed with the prospect of a fine. ''I park here every weekend as my employer frequents the place. So can everybody else. I am not stopping any traffic,'' said Dilshad, who had parked a Versa car. Several other luxury cars were seen lined up in the service lane, some with waiting drivers and several others with no owner or driver in sight.
Mall security personnel said that most car owners claim to be visiting the mall for only a few minutes and don't return for hours. ''They offer us bribes or assure us that they would return shortly. If we argue with them, they threaten us and things get extremely heated. This morning a car owner almost slapped me for telling him that it is a no-parking zone. At the end of the day, even the management asks us to avoid conflicts and there is little we can do if people come and park in the service lane,'' said a guard.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Saket-mall-shoppers-get-parking-ticket/articleshow/7085539.cms#ixzz17xtslx1J
Designer labels, expensive perfumes and top-of-the-line SUVs, but no money to pay for parking — this is your mall-crawling Delhiite, unwilling to park in designated parking spaces as it means shelling out extra cash on 'just parking'. This attitude leads to long jams and constant honking on Press Enclave Road, where cars can be seen parked on either side of the road as well in the service lane along the malls, their owners shopping their hearts out inside three expensive Saket malls.
On Saturday, joint commissioner of police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg caused a flutter by swooping down on this stretch with his team. ''Over 50 cars were issued challans for improper parking, obstruction of traffic and not complying with the direction of a government officials — the minimum challan being Rs 600. We are initiating a drive in this area. The service lane can be used as a drop-off lane by TSRs and private vehicles but they should not halt for more than the minimum time taken to get off the vehicle. No vehicles are allowed to stop in the service lane,'' said Garg.
On an average day, and particularly during weekend, while cars wait to enter the malls or remain parked outside, the rest of Press Enclave Road gets steadily more crowded, with commuters from the busy BRT stretch, Panchsheel and other parts of south Delhi heading towards Saket and Mehrauli stuck in a narrow one lane instead of three lanes. With two hospitals located along the road, the jams and the honking are a major menace. Traffic moving from Saket towards BRT, Greater Kailash II and CR Park is also affected with cars parked on the other side as well.
When TOI visited the area on Saturday evening, over 20 red-beacon cars were seen parked in the service lane. One of the car owners even claimed to be the wife of a chief minister. "This is a no-parking zone and strict action will be taken against any violator,'' said Garg.
A case in point was a Gypsy with darkly tinted glasses parked in the service lane, its owner inside the mall. When asked why he had parked in a no-parking zone, he claimed ignorance. ''There were several other cars parked here when I parked and they were all VIP cars. I did not know you couldn't park here. It is my hard luck that I am getting caught, this happens every day,'' claimed the driver, Syed Akram Ali.
Other drivers offered their own excuses. ''Madam has gone inside for 10 minutes. I am just waiting here as she will be back soon. Actually it's an emergency,'' said Santosh, a driver of a Honda Accord. Another driver, Rupesh, at the wheels of a Cadillac, claimed, ''We have parked here and given Rs 20. This is actually a limited parking area.''
Some drivers were unfazed with the prospect of a fine. ''I park here every weekend as my employer frequents the place. So can everybody else. I am not stopping any traffic,'' said Dilshad, who had parked a Versa car. Several other luxury cars were seen lined up in the service lane, some with waiting drivers and several others with no owner or driver in sight.
Mall security personnel said that most car owners claim to be visiting the mall for only a few minutes and don't return for hours. ''They offer us bribes or assure us that they would return shortly. If we argue with them, they threaten us and things get extremely heated. This morning a car owner almost slapped me for telling him that it is a no-parking zone. At the end of the day, even the management asks us to avoid conflicts and there is little we can do if people come and park in the service lane,'' said a guard.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Saket-mall-shoppers-get-parking-ticket/articleshow/7085539.cms#ixzz17xtslx1J
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Rs 2,000 fine for BRT violation
Friday, Dec 10, 2010
Next time you drive along the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, stick to your lane. Straying into the bus lane may cost you Rs 2,000. The Delhi government has decided to crack down on motorists straying into the bus lane on the BRT corridor. "We have issued a notification in this regard. The minimum penalty for driving in the bus lane is Rs 2,000. The revised penalty would be applicable from Friday," Delhi transport commissioner RK Verma said.
And if you think you can break the rule and get away just because you did not spot a policeman or a transport department official along the corridor, you are wrong. Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS), the agency that maintains and operates the corridor, has installed 20 cameras at various intersections that capture the images of the vehicles violating the rule.
"The cameras read the registration number of the vehicles moving in the bus lane and send it to the operation control room where the computerised system identifies the owner of the vehicle and sends him the notice. The violator cannot escape now," a senior transport department official said.
There are four cameras at each of the five intersections - two each for bus lane and for cycle lane. The cameras are specially designed to zoom in on the number plate of the vehicle moving illegally in reserved lane, capture the number and relay it to the control centre.
DIMTS officials said the number of motorists violating traffic rules and entering the lanes reserved for buses and cycles is huge. While cars enter the bus lane, motorcyclists can be seen driving in the cycle
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Rs-2-000-fine-for-BRT-violation/Article1-636551.aspx
Next time you drive along the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, stick to your lane. Straying into the bus lane may cost you Rs 2,000. The Delhi government has decided to crack down on motorists straying into the bus lane on the BRT corridor. "We have issued a notification in this regard. The minimum penalty for driving in the bus lane is Rs 2,000. The revised penalty would be applicable from Friday," Delhi transport commissioner RK Verma said.
And if you think you can break the rule and get away just because you did not spot a policeman or a transport department official along the corridor, you are wrong. Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System (DIMTS), the agency that maintains and operates the corridor, has installed 20 cameras at various intersections that capture the images of the vehicles violating the rule.
"The cameras read the registration number of the vehicles moving in the bus lane and send it to the operation control room where the computerised system identifies the owner of the vehicle and sends him the notice. The violator cannot escape now," a senior transport department official said.
There are four cameras at each of the five intersections - two each for bus lane and for cycle lane. The cameras are specially designed to zoom in on the number plate of the vehicle moving illegally in reserved lane, capture the number and relay it to the control centre.
DIMTS officials said the number of motorists violating traffic rules and entering the lanes reserved for buses and cycles is huge. While cars enter the bus lane, motorcyclists can be seen driving in the cycle
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Rs-2-000-fine-for-BRT-violation/Article1-636551.aspx
Dug-up Aurobindo Marg takes the road to revival
Friday, Dec 10, 2010
Gridlocked traffic on roads that caved in every now and then. The dreaded Yusuf Sarai market bottleneck. No space to park. Patients and their kin dangerously darting across the road in front of AIIMS. One thought Aurobindo Marg would never emerge out of that nightmare. But quietly, two months after this restored stretch was opened to traffic, it seems things could not have been better. If you want to guage the mood, go to Yusuf Sarai market where the smiles are back.
``Life is finally back to normal,'' says restaurateur Rajkumar Sharma. ``When we first heard Metro was coming, we were overjoyed. But then the work started and our misery began piling up. There was a time when we thought that our businesses would have to be closed down,'' he remembers. Sharma is president of the Yusuf Sarai Market Association. Recalls Parmeshwar Khanna, a local business woman who runs a grocery store in a lane next to the Green Park gurdwara: ``The businesses along the main road were the most affected. In fact, earnings came down by 50%, and while no one closed shop, there was tremendous hardship.''
The residents were not faring any better. ``We bore the brunt of the construction work. My children had to go to lanes inside Green Park to catch the school bus, as the buses could't stop on the congested main road,'' remembers Sharma. But that's also over. While Sharma says business is getting back on its feet, the residents on both side of the road are very happy. Mahua Chatterjee, a school teacher who stays in Hauz Khas apartments, exults: ``The main road is now much wider and the traffic is smooth with few jams happening even during peak office hours. Getting to Ring Road is a breeze nowadays.
Streetscaping, a service lane and better traffic management have all contributed to bring about this transformation. Admits Jitender Tyagi, chief project manager of the Gurgaon Metro line, ``The Green Park metro station was, I feel, the toughest construction project in Phase II that I have undertaken.'' Shops encroaching on the arterial road, congestion as lack of parking meant that cars were parked along the main road and the presence of utilities like water and sewer lines had turned the Green Park station into an engineering challenge, say Metro officials.
Perhaps the biggest challenge was the presence of a brick barrell drain bang in the middle of the Metro track. Says a DMRC official, ``The drain was clogged. As a result, during monsoon, water started flooding the tunnel we had built for the line.'' This led to cave-ins and jams. At one point, Aurobindo Marg was closed for almost a month. There was no solution in sight.
``One of our officers then came across the CPWD engineer who had been part of the team that built the drain in 1962-63. He still remembered the design and told us the drain had weep-holes which had got clogged.'' That proved to be the key. The restored road now follows UTTIPEC ( United Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure, Plg and Engg, Centre) guidelines with the main carriageway measuring 10.5m and service lanes on both sides of 4.5m width. The service lane is a first and serves as an alternate parking area where earlier the only option was the main road.
A pathway of 1.5m has also been built between the service lane and the main carriageway for pedestrians. Streetscaping has been done with emphasis on greenery. Pre-cast coloured tiles have been fixed on the pathway even as traffic movement has been eased with the closure of some bylanes like the one next to the Uphaar complex.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Dug-up-Aurobindo-Marg-takes-the-road-to-revival/articleshow/7074282.cms#ixzz17gQu01wB
Gridlocked traffic on roads that caved in every now and then. The dreaded Yusuf Sarai market bottleneck. No space to park. Patients and their kin dangerously darting across the road in front of AIIMS. One thought Aurobindo Marg would never emerge out of that nightmare. But quietly, two months after this restored stretch was opened to traffic, it seems things could not have been better. If you want to guage the mood, go to Yusuf Sarai market where the smiles are back.
``Life is finally back to normal,'' says restaurateur Rajkumar Sharma. ``When we first heard Metro was coming, we were overjoyed. But then the work started and our misery began piling up. There was a time when we thought that our businesses would have to be closed down,'' he remembers. Sharma is president of the Yusuf Sarai Market Association. Recalls Parmeshwar Khanna, a local business woman who runs a grocery store in a lane next to the Green Park gurdwara: ``The businesses along the main road were the most affected. In fact, earnings came down by 50%, and while no one closed shop, there was tremendous hardship.''
The residents were not faring any better. ``We bore the brunt of the construction work. My children had to go to lanes inside Green Park to catch the school bus, as the buses could't stop on the congested main road,'' remembers Sharma. But that's also over. While Sharma says business is getting back on its feet, the residents on both side of the road are very happy. Mahua Chatterjee, a school teacher who stays in Hauz Khas apartments, exults: ``The main road is now much wider and the traffic is smooth with few jams happening even during peak office hours. Getting to Ring Road is a breeze nowadays.
Streetscaping, a service lane and better traffic management have all contributed to bring about this transformation. Admits Jitender Tyagi, chief project manager of the Gurgaon Metro line, ``The Green Park metro station was, I feel, the toughest construction project in Phase II that I have undertaken.'' Shops encroaching on the arterial road, congestion as lack of parking meant that cars were parked along the main road and the presence of utilities like water and sewer lines had turned the Green Park station into an engineering challenge, say Metro officials.
Perhaps the biggest challenge was the presence of a brick barrell drain bang in the middle of the Metro track. Says a DMRC official, ``The drain was clogged. As a result, during monsoon, water started flooding the tunnel we had built for the line.'' This led to cave-ins and jams. At one point, Aurobindo Marg was closed for almost a month. There was no solution in sight.
``One of our officers then came across the CPWD engineer who had been part of the team that built the drain in 1962-63. He still remembered the design and told us the drain had weep-holes which had got clogged.'' That proved to be the key. The restored road now follows UTTIPEC ( United Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure, Plg and Engg, Centre) guidelines with the main carriageway measuring 10.5m and service lanes on both sides of 4.5m width. The service lane is a first and serves as an alternate parking area where earlier the only option was the main road.
A pathway of 1.5m has also been built between the service lane and the main carriageway for pedestrians. Streetscaping has been done with emphasis on greenery. Pre-cast coloured tiles have been fixed on the pathway even as traffic movement has been eased with the closure of some bylanes like the one next to the Uphaar complex.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Dug-up-Aurobindo-Marg-takes-the-road-to-revival/articleshow/7074282.cms#ixzz17gQu01wB
You will lose your licence if you drink & drive
Friday, Dec 10, 2010
Now drink and drive at your own peril.
In an attempt to curb drink-driving, the Delhi Traffic Police are planning to impound your licence for good.
Keeping in mind past incidents of drink- driving during Christmas and New Year, the traffic police have decided to intensify crackdown and anyone found guilty could lose his/ her driving licence.
" The traffic police are not empowered to suspend or cancel the driving licence.
But we can ask the court for the same. If caught for the first time, the licence would be suspended and thereafter it can be cancelled," joint commissioner of police ( traffic), Satyendra Garg, said.
In case of suspension, one loses the right to drive for six months.
Drink- driving is one of the major reasons for accidents during the night and traffic police officials claim the number of such cases increases during year- end celebrations. Prior to the Commonwealth Games, the traffic police had launched a special drive to curb drinkdriving and 300 licences were suspended by the traffic courts.
The police claim the crackdown had proved a major deterrent and with the year end approaching, they plan to intensify patrolling to nab the perpetrators.
A senior traffic police officer said the thrust would be in south and New Delhi areas where there are a number of night clubs and bars.
For that purpose, more traffic police would be supplied with alcometers ( used to check the amount of alcohol one has consumed) and order has already been placed for this, the officer said.
Moreover, special teams of traffic police would be deployed at night at major intersections to check cases of drink- driving. Those suspected would be subjected to on the spot test.
FATAL ATTRACTION
July 26, 2010: A car driven by a medical student under the influence of alcohol claimed four lives on the Safdarjung flyover
May 23, 2010: The wife of an army officer, driving under the influence of alcohol, rammed her car into an auto- rickshaw, killing two
February 26, 2010: A youth, allegedly drunk, crushed a person on Tilak Marg, killing him
Original news source http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/122709/India/you-will-lose-your-licence-if-you-drink-&-drive.html
Now drink and drive at your own peril.
In an attempt to curb drink-driving, the Delhi Traffic Police are planning to impound your licence for good.
Keeping in mind past incidents of drink- driving during Christmas and New Year, the traffic police have decided to intensify crackdown and anyone found guilty could lose his/ her driving licence.
" The traffic police are not empowered to suspend or cancel the driving licence.
But we can ask the court for the same. If caught for the first time, the licence would be suspended and thereafter it can be cancelled," joint commissioner of police ( traffic), Satyendra Garg, said.
In case of suspension, one loses the right to drive for six months.
Drink- driving is one of the major reasons for accidents during the night and traffic police officials claim the number of such cases increases during year- end celebrations. Prior to the Commonwealth Games, the traffic police had launched a special drive to curb drinkdriving and 300 licences were suspended by the traffic courts.
The police claim the crackdown had proved a major deterrent and with the year end approaching, they plan to intensify patrolling to nab the perpetrators.
A senior traffic police officer said the thrust would be in south and New Delhi areas where there are a number of night clubs and bars.
For that purpose, more traffic police would be supplied with alcometers ( used to check the amount of alcohol one has consumed) and order has already been placed for this, the officer said.
Moreover, special teams of traffic police would be deployed at night at major intersections to check cases of drink- driving. Those suspected would be subjected to on the spot test.
FATAL ATTRACTION
July 26, 2010: A car driven by a medical student under the influence of alcohol claimed four lives on the Safdarjung flyover
May 23, 2010: The wife of an army officer, driving under the influence of alcohol, rammed her car into an auto- rickshaw, killing two
February 26, 2010: A youth, allegedly drunk, crushed a person on Tilak Marg, killing him
Original news source http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/122709/India/you-will-lose-your-licence-if-you-drink-&-drive.html
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Parking issue gains ground in MCD budget
Thursday, Dec 09, 2010
For those, who have been facing problems in parking their vehicles in different parts of the city, Budget 2011-2012 of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) brings good news.
The civic agency has proposed 8,000 additional parking facilities for Delhiites. As per the budget, 21 multi-level parking facilities have been proposed. 13 are under construction, which will cater to 7,000 vehicles."I hope our decision would help people get more space for parking their vehicles," said KS Mehra, Commissioner, MCD.
Watch this space
Meanwhile, the work on seven of the parking areas which will give space to 2500 vehicles is almost complete. However, they have already missed a few deadlines.
Also, the civic agency is trying to propose automated multi-level parking systems at 15 other strategically situated places, which will cater to around 7128 vehicles. The civic agency is planning to start the new multi- level parking system at Kamala Nagar by the end of this year, which will be able to give space to 828 vehicles.
Stake parking
The civic agency has geared for four major stake parking lots where 720 vehicles can stand at a time. This includes space for 90 vehicles behind Sheila Cinema, Paharganj and for 96 vehicles on Satyabhama Road. Shalimar Bagh which caters to 450 vehicles will contribute space for 84 vehicles in the stake parking system. The civic agency has spent Rs 60 crore for the whole project.
Strip parking
MCD for the first time has come up with the idea of strip parking. The civic agency is planning to construct such facilities on roads which have been demarcated for commercialisation and mixed land use purpose. All the surveys regarding such roads have been conducted by the civic agency and are just waiting for the final report.
The general public is naturally happy with the decision. Most of them have to fight for a parking space while going to the markets in different parts of the capital.
'About time'
"This is really great news for us. We have been struggling to get a better parking system for the past many years," said Gurinder Singh, a resident of Lajpat Nagar.
"The news is definitely good. But I just hope that the action is implemented soon, as they keep promising things. But they never get implemented," said Sunita Rana, a resident of Janakpuri.
Original news source http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/dec/091210-News-Delhi-8-000-more-vehicles-Parking-issue-MCD.htm
For those, who have been facing problems in parking their vehicles in different parts of the city, Budget 2011-2012 of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) brings good news.
The civic agency has proposed 8,000 additional parking facilities for Delhiites. As per the budget, 21 multi-level parking facilities have been proposed. 13 are under construction, which will cater to 7,000 vehicles."I hope our decision would help people get more space for parking their vehicles," said KS Mehra, Commissioner, MCD.
Watch this space
Meanwhile, the work on seven of the parking areas which will give space to 2500 vehicles is almost complete. However, they have already missed a few deadlines.
Also, the civic agency is trying to propose automated multi-level parking systems at 15 other strategically situated places, which will cater to around 7128 vehicles. The civic agency is planning to start the new multi- level parking system at Kamala Nagar by the end of this year, which will be able to give space to 828 vehicles.
Stake parking
The civic agency has geared for four major stake parking lots where 720 vehicles can stand at a time. This includes space for 90 vehicles behind Sheila Cinema, Paharganj and for 96 vehicles on Satyabhama Road. Shalimar Bagh which caters to 450 vehicles will contribute space for 84 vehicles in the stake parking system. The civic agency has spent Rs 60 crore for the whole project.
Strip parking
MCD for the first time has come up with the idea of strip parking. The civic agency is planning to construct such facilities on roads which have been demarcated for commercialisation and mixed land use purpose. All the surveys regarding such roads have been conducted by the civic agency and are just waiting for the final report.
The general public is naturally happy with the decision. Most of them have to fight for a parking space while going to the markets in different parts of the capital.
'About time'
"This is really great news for us. We have been struggling to get a better parking system for the past many years," said Gurinder Singh, a resident of Lajpat Nagar.
"The news is definitely good. But I just hope that the action is implemented soon, as they keep promising things. But they never get implemented," said Sunita Rana, a resident of Janakpuri.
Original news source http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/dec/091210-News-Delhi-8-000-more-vehicles-Parking-issue-MCD.htm
Cycle tracks may be on the way out
Thursday, Dec 09, 2010
Commuting on Delhi's traffic-laden roads may soon become easier, with newly-built cycle tracks on stretches such as Bhishma Pitamah Road, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg and Chandni Chowk, among others, expected to be on the way out. The move comes after constant pressure from the Delhi traffic police and thousands of road users that made the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) decide on a lasting solution to the problem.
"We felt that there is no need for cycle tracks on roads that are 30 metres wide. On narrow roads, the volume of traffic is heavy and its speed slow. Separate cycle tracks on these stretches actually increase the chance of accidents and lead to traffic congestion," said a senior officer of UTTIPEC.
According to Paromita Roy, senior consultant, UTTIPEC, "We will place our proposal before the governing body meeting on January 7; it will be implemented after taking the consent of all stakeholders."
KK Kapila, chairman, International Road Federation, a non-governmental organisation said: "Removal of cycle tracks from busy roads will actually reduce road accidents. Separating cyclists from other motorised commuters on such roads is dangerous."
A number of cycle tracks (CTs) were built in Delhi before the Commonwealth Games.
However, many of them have remained unused and according to traffic police officials, they have only made the task of traffic cops tougher.
"Many cycle tracks have actually reduced road space and resulted in severe traffic hazards. The reduced road width causes congestions," said Ajay Chadha, special commissioner of police (administration and traffic) said.
CTs were built on several roads, including the stretch between Vikas Marg and Karkardooma, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg, the existing BRT corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate, Geeta Colony Flyover, Bhishma Pitamah Marg, Ring Road, Netaji Subhash Marg, Mall Road and Chandni Chowk.
"It takes around 30 minutes to travel a kilometre due to CTs at Netaji Subhash Marg and SP Mukherjee Marg," said Sanjay Bhargava, president, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cycle-tracks-may-be-on-the-way-out/Article1-636148.aspx
Commuting on Delhi's traffic-laden roads may soon become easier, with newly-built cycle tracks on stretches such as Bhishma Pitamah Road, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg and Chandni Chowk, among others, expected to be on the way out. The move comes after constant pressure from the Delhi traffic police and thousands of road users that made the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) decide on a lasting solution to the problem.
"We felt that there is no need for cycle tracks on roads that are 30 metres wide. On narrow roads, the volume of traffic is heavy and its speed slow. Separate cycle tracks on these stretches actually increase the chance of accidents and lead to traffic congestion," said a senior officer of UTTIPEC.
According to Paromita Roy, senior consultant, UTTIPEC, "We will place our proposal before the governing body meeting on January 7; it will be implemented after taking the consent of all stakeholders."
KK Kapila, chairman, International Road Federation, a non-governmental organisation said: "Removal of cycle tracks from busy roads will actually reduce road accidents. Separating cyclists from other motorised commuters on such roads is dangerous."
A number of cycle tracks (CTs) were built in Delhi before the Commonwealth Games.
However, many of them have remained unused and according to traffic police officials, they have only made the task of traffic cops tougher.
"Many cycle tracks have actually reduced road space and resulted in severe traffic hazards. The reduced road width causes congestions," said Ajay Chadha, special commissioner of police (administration and traffic) said.
CTs were built on several roads, including the stretch between Vikas Marg and Karkardooma, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg, the existing BRT corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate, Geeta Colony Flyover, Bhishma Pitamah Marg, Ring Road, Netaji Subhash Marg, Mall Road and Chandni Chowk.
"It takes around 30 minutes to travel a kilometre due to CTs at Netaji Subhash Marg and SP Mukherjee Marg," said Sanjay Bhargava, president, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cycle-tracks-may-be-on-the-way-out/Article1-636148.aspx
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Getting you from East to South Delhi in 20 mins flat
Wednesday, Dec 08, 2010
This is one road that promises you faster travel than the Delhi Metro. The opening of Barapullah elevated road — from Ring Road near Sarai Kale Khan to Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium —has cut down travel time between a residential colony in east Delhi to south Delhi to just 20 minutes. A ride in the Delhi metro for the same distance would take at least an hour.
While traffic bottlenecks at Ashram crossing and Bhairon Marg traffic intersection add to the travelling time, changing trains at Rajeev Chowk makes travelling by the metro more time consuming and cumbersome.
"The 12-kilometre journey from Mayur Vihar in East Delhi to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in south Delhi has now become completely signal free and will not take more than 20 minutes. If you take the Bhairon Road route or the Ashram route, it is at least 45-50 minutes drive," said a senior PWD engineer. "If you are travelling by Delhi Metro, it will take at least 40 minutes."
Constructed by DSC Limited at a cost of Rs 473 crore (PWD claims it saved R25 crore on initial cost of R498 crore), the 4.53-kilometre Barapullah elevated road was thrown open for traffic by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday afternoon.
Senior PWD engineers said the road would decongest Ring Road at Ashram and Bhairon Road and some parts of Mathura Road.
The road, said PWD officials, has been opened to light vehicles and buses.
Heavy commercial vehicles like trucks will not be allowed on this stretch.
For people travelling by public transport, Delhi Transport Corporation has decided to run bout 30 buses on two routes - 543 A (Anand Vihar ISBT - Safdurjung Terminal) and Barapullah Mudrika.
The buses will have to take a compulsory right turn near Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium while going from Sarai Kale Khan side.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Getting-you-from-East-to-South-Delhi-in-20-mins-flat/Article1-635694.aspx
This is one road that promises you faster travel than the Delhi Metro. The opening of Barapullah elevated road — from Ring Road near Sarai Kale Khan to Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium —has cut down travel time between a residential colony in east Delhi to south Delhi to just 20 minutes. A ride in the Delhi metro for the same distance would take at least an hour.
While traffic bottlenecks at Ashram crossing and Bhairon Marg traffic intersection add to the travelling time, changing trains at Rajeev Chowk makes travelling by the metro more time consuming and cumbersome.
"The 12-kilometre journey from Mayur Vihar in East Delhi to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in south Delhi has now become completely signal free and will not take more than 20 minutes. If you take the Bhairon Road route or the Ashram route, it is at least 45-50 minutes drive," said a senior PWD engineer. "If you are travelling by Delhi Metro, it will take at least 40 minutes."
Constructed by DSC Limited at a cost of Rs 473 crore (PWD claims it saved R25 crore on initial cost of R498 crore), the 4.53-kilometre Barapullah elevated road was thrown open for traffic by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday afternoon.
Senior PWD engineers said the road would decongest Ring Road at Ashram and Bhairon Road and some parts of Mathura Road.
The road, said PWD officials, has been opened to light vehicles and buses.
Heavy commercial vehicles like trucks will not be allowed on this stretch.
For people travelling by public transport, Delhi Transport Corporation has decided to run bout 30 buses on two routes - 543 A (Anand Vihar ISBT - Safdurjung Terminal) and Barapullah Mudrika.
The buses will have to take a compulsory right turn near Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium while going from Sarai Kale Khan side.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Getting-you-from-East-to-South-Delhi-in-20-mins-flat/Article1-635694.aspx
Fines imposed to enforce lane driving
Wednesday, Dec 08, 2010
Drive in your lane or get fined. Delhi Traffic Police has started imposing a fine of R100 on motorists who weave from one lane to another and obstruct traffic by stopping on the roadside. In the past one week, more than 5,800 motorists including those driving buses, autos and private cars have been fined for lane violations.
Traffic police have implemented lane driving on 15 select arterial roads in Delhi including the southern part of the Ring Road from December 1.
"For the past month, we were educating people by posting policemen with loudhailers at bus stops. Now we've started imposing fines," said Satyendra Garg, JCP (traffic).
Traffic police personnel on Pulsar motorcycles have been deployed to keep Delhiites in line — and lane. The left most-lane has been reserved for buses and heavy moving vehicles and the right most lane is for fast moving vehicles. The middle lane is for slow moving vehicles like autos and tempos. A motorcyclist can drive on both, on the middle and the right lane, depending on his speed.
Police said they were specially cracking down on buses, as they were the worst offenders.
Delhi Police plans to implement lane driving across Delhi but as of now it will be enforced on the select 15 corridors.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Fines-imposed-to-enforce-lane-driving/Article1-635716.aspx
Drive in your lane or get fined. Delhi Traffic Police has started imposing a fine of R100 on motorists who weave from one lane to another and obstruct traffic by stopping on the roadside. In the past one week, more than 5,800 motorists including those driving buses, autos and private cars have been fined for lane violations.
Traffic police have implemented lane driving on 15 select arterial roads in Delhi including the southern part of the Ring Road from December 1.
"For the past month, we were educating people by posting policemen with loudhailers at bus stops. Now we've started imposing fines," said Satyendra Garg, JCP (traffic).
Traffic police personnel on Pulsar motorcycles have been deployed to keep Delhiites in line — and lane. The left most-lane has been reserved for buses and heavy moving vehicles and the right most lane is for fast moving vehicles. The middle lane is for slow moving vehicles like autos and tempos. A motorcyclist can drive on both, on the middle and the right lane, depending on his speed.
Police said they were specially cracking down on buses, as they were the worst offenders.
Delhi Police plans to implement lane driving across Delhi but as of now it will be enforced on the select 15 corridors.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Fines-imposed-to-enforce-lane-driving/Article1-635716.aspx
Monday, December 6, 2010
Soon at Lajpat Nagar: Hi-tech parking meters
Tuesday, Dec 07, 2010
The parking troubles at the busy Lajpat Nagar market are set to end soon. The Delhi government is in the process of drafting a comprehensive transport policy and last week initiated work on replacing the existing parking facility at the market with sleek, new parking meters.
The task force, constituted after a High Court order, has planned several measures to restrict easy or cheap access to parking in hope that it would discourage people from using private vehicles, which in turn will reduce traffic congestion.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) currently manages parking at Lajpat Nagar through contractors who issue tickets to car owners manually, often encroaching on pavements and road.
The government has now asked the agency to vacate parking lots for the pilot project, Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said. "They will have to figure out how the contractors are to be removed because the metered parking system cannot begin until that is done," he said.
The parking meters will be built on German technology and car owners will have to deposit the money in the machines that will generate parking tickets for varying time periods.
The parking time billed for will be printed on the tickets and car owners will be required to display it on the car's dashboard.
The project's feasibility and financial viability has been approved and a team from Dubai has already begun surveying parking space at the market, said T K Malhotra, president of the Automobile Association of Upper India, the non-governmental organisation executing the project.
"The existing system is chaotic as parking spills over on the road. Right now we are assessing how many cars can be accommodated as per rules," Malhotra said. He, however, added that it was not clear as yet how long it would take to put the new system will be in place.
Slots for cars will be clearly marked, Malhotra said, and initial plans are to install one parking meter for 50 cars. "A car owner can take a ticket from a parking meter installed anywhere in the market," Malhotra added.
The meters will be programmed and connected to the parking slots in a way that they will keep a record of occupancy and a car owner will be able to see on the meter whether or not space is available, he said.
"This way, the parking area will not be chaotic as there will be no overload. Car owners will simply drive away from the entry point in case the meter shows full occupancy," Malhotra said.
Every meter will be equipped with sensors and a camera and will be fixed deep into the ground with concealed nuts and bolts to avoid theft.
"If someone still manages to steal it, we can track the machine with the help of a global positioning system device that will be installed in the machine," he said.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/soon-at-lajpat-nagar-hitech-parking-meters/721317/0
The parking troubles at the busy Lajpat Nagar market are set to end soon. The Delhi government is in the process of drafting a comprehensive transport policy and last week initiated work on replacing the existing parking facility at the market with sleek, new parking meters.
The task force, constituted after a High Court order, has planned several measures to restrict easy or cheap access to parking in hope that it would discourage people from using private vehicles, which in turn will reduce traffic congestion.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) currently manages parking at Lajpat Nagar through contractors who issue tickets to car owners manually, often encroaching on pavements and road.
The government has now asked the agency to vacate parking lots for the pilot project, Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said. "They will have to figure out how the contractors are to be removed because the metered parking system cannot begin until that is done," he said.
The parking meters will be built on German technology and car owners will have to deposit the money in the machines that will generate parking tickets for varying time periods.
The parking time billed for will be printed on the tickets and car owners will be required to display it on the car's dashboard.
The project's feasibility and financial viability has been approved and a team from Dubai has already begun surveying parking space at the market, said T K Malhotra, president of the Automobile Association of Upper India, the non-governmental organisation executing the project.
"The existing system is chaotic as parking spills over on the road. Right now we are assessing how many cars can be accommodated as per rules," Malhotra said. He, however, added that it was not clear as yet how long it would take to put the new system will be in place.
Slots for cars will be clearly marked, Malhotra said, and initial plans are to install one parking meter for 50 cars. "A car owner can take a ticket from a parking meter installed anywhere in the market," Malhotra added.
The meters will be programmed and connected to the parking slots in a way that they will keep a record of occupancy and a car owner will be able to see on the meter whether or not space is available, he said.
"This way, the parking area will not be chaotic as there will be no overload. Car owners will simply drive away from the entry point in case the meter shows full occupancy," Malhotra said.
Every meter will be equipped with sensors and a camera and will be fixed deep into the ground with concealed nuts and bolts to avoid theft.
"If someone still manages to steal it, we can track the machine with the help of a global positioning system device that will be installed in the machine," he said.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/soon-at-lajpat-nagar-hitech-parking-meters/721317/0
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Crackdown against Gramin Seva autos
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010
Over 25 Gramin Seva autos have been impounded in the past one week by the Delhi Traffic Police for flouting traffic norms in the city. On Friday, however, there were protests by auto drivers after Traffic Police started issuing challans for carrying more than six passengers, which is the permissible limit. Auto drivers, however, claimed that they were only helping locals as this was the only mode of transport for many passengers. "We have to grease the palms of several middlemen for survival when in fact we are doing a service to hundreds of locals who have no other mode of transport for that part of the city,'' claimed an auto union leader.
Senior traffic officials claimed that these shared autos are a traffic problem. DTP had caught several shared autos plying without permits and numbers and slowing down traffic on arterial roads. "We are issuing challans for three main violations. Drivers are being fined Rs 500 and owners Rs 1000 for not carrying a valid licence. There is a fine of Rs 2000 for plying without permit and Rs 100 for overcrowding. But tackling violations by Gramin Seva autos is not that simple and we are in constant touch with the transport department to handle the issue sensitively,'' said joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyender Garg to Times City.
Gramin Seva is a shared auto service. The autos ply on several arterial roads in the capital. At present, the transport department has issued 2000 permits for shared autos under Gramin Seva. The transport department had earlier said that it will stop issuing fresh permits and is in the process of rationalising routes for the service, which is basically being planned for rural belts.
The nine-seater vehicles of either Mahindra or Tata Magic make are a common sight in Kalkaji, Govindpuri, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, BRT corridor, MG Road, Badarpur in south Delhi; and Seelampur, Shakarpur, Mother Dairy Road, IP Extension in east Delhi, among other areas. The transport department has been inundated with applications from people who want to run the service, officials had claimed.
The transport department had earlier decided to start charting out specific routes for the Gramin Seva autos, with permits issued strictly against these routes alone. The routes would remain limited to the rural areas where the reach of DTC buses is limited, senior officials had claimed.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Crackdown-against-Gramin-Seva-autos/articleshow/7045002.cms#ixzz17JFwhWFe
Over 25 Gramin Seva autos have been impounded in the past one week by the Delhi Traffic Police for flouting traffic norms in the city. On Friday, however, there were protests by auto drivers after Traffic Police started issuing challans for carrying more than six passengers, which is the permissible limit. Auto drivers, however, claimed that they were only helping locals as this was the only mode of transport for many passengers. "We have to grease the palms of several middlemen for survival when in fact we are doing a service to hundreds of locals who have no other mode of transport for that part of the city,'' claimed an auto union leader.
Senior traffic officials claimed that these shared autos are a traffic problem. DTP had caught several shared autos plying without permits and numbers and slowing down traffic on arterial roads. "We are issuing challans for three main violations. Drivers are being fined Rs 500 and owners Rs 1000 for not carrying a valid licence. There is a fine of Rs 2000 for plying without permit and Rs 100 for overcrowding. But tackling violations by Gramin Seva autos is not that simple and we are in constant touch with the transport department to handle the issue sensitively,'' said joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyender Garg to Times City.
Gramin Seva is a shared auto service. The autos ply on several arterial roads in the capital. At present, the transport department has issued 2000 permits for shared autos under Gramin Seva. The transport department had earlier said that it will stop issuing fresh permits and is in the process of rationalising routes for the service, which is basically being planned for rural belts.
The nine-seater vehicles of either Mahindra or Tata Magic make are a common sight in Kalkaji, Govindpuri, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, BRT corridor, MG Road, Badarpur in south Delhi; and Seelampur, Shakarpur, Mother Dairy Road, IP Extension in east Delhi, among other areas. The transport department has been inundated with applications from people who want to run the service, officials had claimed.
The transport department had earlier decided to start charting out specific routes for the Gramin Seva autos, with permits issued strictly against these routes alone. The routes would remain limited to the rural areas where the reach of DTC buses is limited, senior officials had claimed.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Crackdown-against-Gramin-Seva-autos/articleshow/7045002.cms#ixzz17JFwhWFe
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Cops red flag 180 parking lots
Thursday, Dec 02, 2010
Municipal Corporation of Delhi`s plan to turn illegal parking lots in the city into authorised ones seems to have backfired. The civic agency had recently floated tenders for 225 parking lots out of which 180 are illegal. Delhi Traffic Police, meanwhile, refused to give NOCs for these parking lots and MCD will now approach the L-G over this issue, seeking his intervention.
``The Environment Pollution Control Authority and the court have clarified that we will have to take clearance from the traffic police to run parking lots in the city,`` said B N Singh, officer-on-special duty, R P Cell.
Justifying the reason behind floating tenders for such sites, Singh added: ``Since most of the 225 parking lots under MCD were anyway running illegally, we decided to go ahead and float tenders for 180 such sites and operate them as authorised parking lots. But with the traffic police refusing to give us permission, MCD commissioner K S Mehra will now meet the L-G on this issue.``
Meanwhile, MCD councillors criticised the officials for going ahead with the tender process without getting NOC from the traffic police and pointed out several illegal sites in the city. ``The problem of unauthorised parking would have never taken place if MCD had registered FIRs in such cases,`` said leader of opposition, J K Sharma. Councillors also alleged that the highest bidder was not allotted the parking lots in many cases.
Explaining this, Singh said in three such cases, the bidder had not submitted relevant documents and had only given the applications. ``In all such cases, the parking lots were allotted to the lower bidder,`` said Singh.
Singh further stated that he was going to now issue a booklet to all 272 councillors on the number of parking lots under MCD, the contractor responsible for running each of these, the period of contract, etc, so that councillors were aware of which parking lots in their areas were unauthorised.
Meanwhile, according to MCD officials, around 20 parking sites under MCD will now be handed over to ex-servicemen so that they can operate them properly.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cops-red-flag-180-parking-lots/articleshow/7026343.cms#ixzz171m8AEWP
Municipal Corporation of Delhi`s plan to turn illegal parking lots in the city into authorised ones seems to have backfired. The civic agency had recently floated tenders for 225 parking lots out of which 180 are illegal. Delhi Traffic Police, meanwhile, refused to give NOCs for these parking lots and MCD will now approach the L-G over this issue, seeking his intervention.
``The Environment Pollution Control Authority and the court have clarified that we will have to take clearance from the traffic police to run parking lots in the city,`` said B N Singh, officer-on-special duty, R P Cell.
Justifying the reason behind floating tenders for such sites, Singh added: ``Since most of the 225 parking lots under MCD were anyway running illegally, we decided to go ahead and float tenders for 180 such sites and operate them as authorised parking lots. But with the traffic police refusing to give us permission, MCD commissioner K S Mehra will now meet the L-G on this issue.``
Meanwhile, MCD councillors criticised the officials for going ahead with the tender process without getting NOC from the traffic police and pointed out several illegal sites in the city. ``The problem of unauthorised parking would have never taken place if MCD had registered FIRs in such cases,`` said leader of opposition, J K Sharma. Councillors also alleged that the highest bidder was not allotted the parking lots in many cases.
Explaining this, Singh said in three such cases, the bidder had not submitted relevant documents and had only given the applications. ``In all such cases, the parking lots were allotted to the lower bidder,`` said Singh.
Singh further stated that he was going to now issue a booklet to all 272 councillors on the number of parking lots under MCD, the contractor responsible for running each of these, the period of contract, etc, so that councillors were aware of which parking lots in their areas were unauthorised.
Meanwhile, according to MCD officials, around 20 parking sites under MCD will now be handed over to ex-servicemen so that they can operate them properly.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cops-red-flag-180-parking-lots/articleshow/7026343.cms#ixzz171m8AEWP
Monday, November 29, 2010
These car dealers are stealing your space
Tuesday, Nov 30, 2010
Lajpat Nagar resident Raghav Rai makes it a point to leave home for work with ample time in hand. Not an unusual practice for a Delhiite, but Rai has to be extra careful as it takes him 20 minutes to just get out of his house. With the pavement in front of his house blocked by cars, Rai has to manoeuvre is way out of a maze of vehicles. He does not even get space to park his own car and has to walk a distance to get to his vehicle.
Rai is not alone in his suffering. Walk down any south Delhi locality and the congestion and resultant space constraint are difficult to miss. In areas like Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony, CR Park and Greater Kailash-III , pavements and roads are choked with cars, leaving little or no space to walk. But what many may not know is that most these cars do not belong to the residents. They belong to second-hand car dealers who encroach upon public land with impunity, while agencies concerned turn a blind eye. On an average, each dealer parks 10 to 15 cars on public land.
'' It takes me 15-20 minutes everyday to get out of my own house because of these secondhand cars. The dealers park their cars on pavements , roads and even authorised parking lots," said Rai.
Delhi HC had recently threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against the traffic police and civic agencies for failing to take action against car dealers and automobile workshops on both sides of Defence Colony flyover. That the threat had little impact was evident when this correspondent recently visited the market below Defence Colony flyover and found second-hand cars parked still there. The dealers , however, claimed that they were in the process of removing the cars elsewhere. '' We are moving our cars to a parking space behind our showroom in Lajpat Nagar," said an employee of Kar Links, which deals in sale and purchase of second-hand cars.
Two other second-hand car dealers in the market, however, claimed they were allowed to park two to three cars in the DDA parking lot as they own shops nearby. '' Every shopkeeper is allowed to park at least two to three personal vehicles in the DDA parking lot. But certain members of the market association have a problem with even that. They moved court over this issue,'' said Dheeraj Manchanda , owner of Ganpati Motors.
General secretary of the Flyover Complex Welfare Association, Defence Colony, said they recently shot off letters — TOI has a copy — to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Police, urging them to take steps to stop the blatant encroachment of space by car dealers, but action wasn't taken. '' The cars are parked on roadside and pavements. Forget parking our cars, we can't even walk. The dealers in Lajpat Nagar have started using the authorised parking lot which leads to traffic jams,'' said Harvinder Singh, general secretary of the association. Gaurav Malik, owner of Om Sai Motors in CR Park, said he parks his cars on the pavements with permission from the residents. '' We don't have any other space to park our cars. There is a mutual understanding with my neighbours and they don't mind us using pavements and roads to park cars,'' said Malik.
MCD said action against encroachments is taken regularly, but the dealers keep coming back. An MCD official said: "Removing these cars is not our job alone. The traffic police is equally responsible. In the case of Defence Colony, the matter is sub-judice and we would not like to comment.'' But a traffic police officer said vehicles are challaned and even towed away from pavements from time to time.
CAR BIZARRE
Each dealer parks 10 to 15 cars on the pavement and service lanes This not only inconveniences the residents but adds to traffic congestion Areas most affected | Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony, Karol Bagh, CR Park, GK-II , Saket, Shakarpur, Tilak Nagar The high court had recently expressed anger as the authorities have consistently failed to take any action against dealers and workshops encroaching on public space, footpaths and roads
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/-These-car-dealers-are-stealing-your-space/articleshow/7012869.cms#ixzz16kF66Gr7
Lajpat Nagar resident Raghav Rai makes it a point to leave home for work with ample time in hand. Not an unusual practice for a Delhiite, but Rai has to be extra careful as it takes him 20 minutes to just get out of his house. With the pavement in front of his house blocked by cars, Rai has to manoeuvre is way out of a maze of vehicles. He does not even get space to park his own car and has to walk a distance to get to his vehicle.
Rai is not alone in his suffering. Walk down any south Delhi locality and the congestion and resultant space constraint are difficult to miss. In areas like Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony, CR Park and Greater Kailash-III , pavements and roads are choked with cars, leaving little or no space to walk. But what many may not know is that most these cars do not belong to the residents. They belong to second-hand car dealers who encroach upon public land with impunity, while agencies concerned turn a blind eye. On an average, each dealer parks 10 to 15 cars on public land.
'' It takes me 15-20 minutes everyday to get out of my own house because of these secondhand cars. The dealers park their cars on pavements , roads and even authorised parking lots," said Rai.
Delhi HC had recently threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against the traffic police and civic agencies for failing to take action against car dealers and automobile workshops on both sides of Defence Colony flyover. That the threat had little impact was evident when this correspondent recently visited the market below Defence Colony flyover and found second-hand cars parked still there. The dealers , however, claimed that they were in the process of removing the cars elsewhere. '' We are moving our cars to a parking space behind our showroom in Lajpat Nagar," said an employee of Kar Links, which deals in sale and purchase of second-hand cars.
Two other second-hand car dealers in the market, however, claimed they were allowed to park two to three cars in the DDA parking lot as they own shops nearby. '' Every shopkeeper is allowed to park at least two to three personal vehicles in the DDA parking lot. But certain members of the market association have a problem with even that. They moved court over this issue,'' said Dheeraj Manchanda , owner of Ganpati Motors.
General secretary of the Flyover Complex Welfare Association, Defence Colony, said they recently shot off letters — TOI has a copy — to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Police, urging them to take steps to stop the blatant encroachment of space by car dealers, but action wasn't taken. '' The cars are parked on roadside and pavements. Forget parking our cars, we can't even walk. The dealers in Lajpat Nagar have started using the authorised parking lot which leads to traffic jams,'' said Harvinder Singh, general secretary of the association. Gaurav Malik, owner of Om Sai Motors in CR Park, said he parks his cars on the pavements with permission from the residents. '' We don't have any other space to park our cars. There is a mutual understanding with my neighbours and they don't mind us using pavements and roads to park cars,'' said Malik.
MCD said action against encroachments is taken regularly, but the dealers keep coming back. An MCD official said: "Removing these cars is not our job alone. The traffic police is equally responsible. In the case of Defence Colony, the matter is sub-judice and we would not like to comment.'' But a traffic police officer said vehicles are challaned and even towed away from pavements from time to time.
CAR BIZARRE
Each dealer parks 10 to 15 cars on the pavement and service lanes This not only inconveniences the residents but adds to traffic congestion Areas most affected | Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony, Karol Bagh, CR Park, GK-II , Saket, Shakarpur, Tilak Nagar The high court had recently expressed anger as the authorities have consistently failed to take any action against dealers and workshops encroaching on public space, footpaths and roads
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/-These-car-dealers-are-stealing-your-space/articleshow/7012869.cms#ixzz16kF66Gr7
Zero tolerance on five more roads
Tuesday, Nov 30, 2010
In a bid to decongest the city, traffic police has added five more corridors in the city to a list of 10, where a zero tolerance policy against traffic offences has been adopted by them.
The five new corridors are Outer Ring Road from Modi Mill flyover to Rao Tula Ram Marg, Africa Avenue-Vinay Marg, Vikas Marg from IP flyover to Karkari, NH-24 from Nizamuddin to Ghazipur and Teen Murti roundabout to C-Hexagon through Akbar Road. ''We have identified five more corridors for traffic improvement after we initiated the drive on 10 corridors earlier this month. With such strict measures in place, we hope to see a marked improvement in Delhi's traffic situation,'' said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
At the selected corridors, a number of measures will be taken to smoothen traffic flow. These include deployment of traffic policemen at bus stops and main traffic intersections and more cops on bikes. Buses and trucks will also have to ply in the extreme left lane while autorickshaws and other utility vehicles will have to use the middle lane and cars will be in the right lane.
The first 10 corridors where these measures had been initiated earlier this month included Outer Circle in Connaught Place, Ring Road from Ashram to Naraina, Tilak Marg, Lodhi Road and Nelson Mandela Marg. The project was initiated after B K Gupta took over as commissioner of police on November 10.
''Our initiative with the first 10 corridors has done quite well. Earlier traffic bottle necks like Ring Road, Ashram and Naraina have become jam-free even in peak hours unless of course there is a breakdown or some other unforseen event. Traffic on these stretches will improve significantly in a short while. The department has received several suggestions on what should be implemented and we will look into each of them,'' said Garg.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Zero-tolerance-on-five-more-roads/articleshow/7012529.cms#ixzz16kDAtsil
In a bid to decongest the city, traffic police has added five more corridors in the city to a list of 10, where a zero tolerance policy against traffic offences has been adopted by them.
The five new corridors are Outer Ring Road from Modi Mill flyover to Rao Tula Ram Marg, Africa Avenue-Vinay Marg, Vikas Marg from IP flyover to Karkari, NH-24 from Nizamuddin to Ghazipur and Teen Murti roundabout to C-Hexagon through Akbar Road. ''We have identified five more corridors for traffic improvement after we initiated the drive on 10 corridors earlier this month. With such strict measures in place, we hope to see a marked improvement in Delhi's traffic situation,'' said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
At the selected corridors, a number of measures will be taken to smoothen traffic flow. These include deployment of traffic policemen at bus stops and main traffic intersections and more cops on bikes. Buses and trucks will also have to ply in the extreme left lane while autorickshaws and other utility vehicles will have to use the middle lane and cars will be in the right lane.
The first 10 corridors where these measures had been initiated earlier this month included Outer Circle in Connaught Place, Ring Road from Ashram to Naraina, Tilak Marg, Lodhi Road and Nelson Mandela Marg. The project was initiated after B K Gupta took over as commissioner of police on November 10.
''Our initiative with the first 10 corridors has done quite well. Earlier traffic bottle necks like Ring Road, Ashram and Naraina have become jam-free even in peak hours unless of course there is a breakdown or some other unforseen event. Traffic on these stretches will improve significantly in a short while. The department has received several suggestions on what should be implemented and we will look into each of them,'' said Garg.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Zero-tolerance-on-five-more-roads/articleshow/7012529.cms#ixzz16kDAtsil
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Rs. 100 insufficient traffic fine: Dikshit
Thursday, Nov 25, 2010
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Thursday said a fine of Rs. 100 for violating traffic rules was too little an amount to serve as a 'deterrent'.
'I have heard that the Delhi High Court is against a raise in the amount of challan (fine). I request the traffic police to take up the matter with the court again saying the fine of Rs.100 is not enough. People these days spend Rs.100 in having ice creams,' Dikshit said during a discussion in the Delhi Assembly on traffic situation in the city.
She suggested that challan can be Rs.2,000 or 5,000.
The chief minister also submitted a few suggestions which includes survey of traffic signals, demarcation of pedestrians' crossings, designated lanes for fast and slow moving traffic and equitable deployment of 5,500 traffic constables in Delhi.
Congratulating the Delhi Police for its work during Commonwealth Games, she said that work on introduction of intelligent traffic system has started while underlining the need for proper implementation and enforcement of receipt of information from the system.
Dikshit said a survey of traffic signals is necessary as during rains, a number of traffic signals become non-functional, causing traffic jamss.
Original news source http://sify.com/finance/rs-100-insufficient-traffic-fine-dikshit-news-default-klzwOjifdgi.html
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Thursday said a fine of Rs. 100 for violating traffic rules was too little an amount to serve as a 'deterrent'.
'I have heard that the Delhi High Court is against a raise in the amount of challan (fine). I request the traffic police to take up the matter with the court again saying the fine of Rs.100 is not enough. People these days spend Rs.100 in having ice creams,' Dikshit said during a discussion in the Delhi Assembly on traffic situation in the city.
She suggested that challan can be Rs.2,000 or 5,000.
The chief minister also submitted a few suggestions which includes survey of traffic signals, demarcation of pedestrians' crossings, designated lanes for fast and slow moving traffic and equitable deployment of 5,500 traffic constables in Delhi.
Congratulating the Delhi Police for its work during Commonwealth Games, she said that work on introduction of intelligent traffic system has started while underlining the need for proper implementation and enforcement of receipt of information from the system.
Dikshit said a survey of traffic signals is necessary as during rains, a number of traffic signals become non-functional, causing traffic jamss.
Original news source http://sify.com/finance/rs-100-insufficient-traffic-fine-dikshit-news-default-klzwOjifdgi.html
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
City roads breathe easy, thanks to Metro
Thursday, Nov 25, 2010
If statistics are anything to go by, the arrival of Delhi Metro to Gurgaon has helped reduce traffic on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway. According to officials, there is a decline of 15,000 vehicles at the toll plaza of vehicles entering Gurgaon. The traffic police could not have been happier. "I would say the Metro has taken away 5% of our customers which means 15,000-20,000 vehicles per day," said a official of Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited, a subsidiary of DS construction who is the concessionaire of the expressway.
The impact of Metro is such that the BPOs and multinational companies have replaced cab service with shuttle services up to Metro stations for their employees from Delhi.
The ridership on Gurgaon's five stations increased from 35,000 per day
to 1.14 lakh. The busiest station in Gurgaon is Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, which is used by at least 30,000 passengers everyday.
"We were not using the Metro initially as it was not connected to other lines of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). But I have stopped driving to my office in Hauz Khas ever since the new line has been opened," said Ritesh Singh, a resident of DLF phase-I Gurgaon.
The introduction of Metro might have started impacting the road users, however, commuters feel there would be larger impact once the city has a good public transport system.
Experts say with five stations in Gurgaon, the city needs better feeder service and public transport to discourage car users.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/City-roads-breathe-easy-thanks-to-Metro/Article1-630624.aspx
If statistics are anything to go by, the arrival of Delhi Metro to Gurgaon has helped reduce traffic on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway. According to officials, there is a decline of 15,000 vehicles at the toll plaza of vehicles entering Gurgaon. The traffic police could not have been happier. "I would say the Metro has taken away 5% of our customers which means 15,000-20,000 vehicles per day," said a official of Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited, a subsidiary of DS construction who is the concessionaire of the expressway.
The impact of Metro is such that the BPOs and multinational companies have replaced cab service with shuttle services up to Metro stations for their employees from Delhi.
The ridership on Gurgaon's five stations increased from 35,000 per day
to 1.14 lakh. The busiest station in Gurgaon is Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, which is used by at least 30,000 passengers everyday.
"We were not using the Metro initially as it was not connected to other lines of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). But I have stopped driving to my office in Hauz Khas ever since the new line has been opened," said Ritesh Singh, a resident of DLF phase-I Gurgaon.
The introduction of Metro might have started impacting the road users, however, commuters feel there would be larger impact once the city has a good public transport system.
Experts say with five stations in Gurgaon, the city needs better feeder service and public transport to discourage car users.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/City-roads-breathe-easy-thanks-to-Metro/Article1-630624.aspx
Put up signages for auto stands: HC to civic bodies
Thursday, Nov 25, 2010
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the civic agencies in Delhi to put up necessary signages identifying auto stands earmarked in the city. The direction came after the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) said it has already earmarked 402 spots as designated auto stands. The court was hearing a PIL complaining that there was not a single legally authorised stand for the 55,000-odd autorickshaws registered in the Capital.
Counsel for Delhi Traffic Police, Jyoti Singh told a bench of chief justice Dipak Misra and justice Manmohan that the spots had been identified as 'halt and go' TSR stands after consultation with the area traffic officers.
She said a notification has been issued in this regard and published in newspapers.
However, when the bench directed the traffic police to install signages at these spots, Singh said it was the duty of the civic agencies. Following this, the bench directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Cantonment Board, National Highway Authority of India and Public Works Department to put up the signages in their respective areas for public convenience.
In response to the request made by the petitioner for a detailed list of all spots, the transport department has posted the exhaustive list of 402 spots on its website.
Badges distributed: Meera Bhatia, counsel for the transport department told the court that 29,300 badges have been distributed to auto drivers till now. She said the aim is to prevent autorickshaw drivers from committing crime against passengers, a trend increasingly witnessed in the recent past.
"Possession of a badge and biometric connotes an element of certification. These will be issued only after verification of the character and antecedents of such drivers," she said.
Over 10,000 autorickshaws had gone off the city roads from November 14, 2010, with Delhi government cancelling their permits for failing to comply with the prescribed guidelines.
Auto owners had been asked to go for smart card-based permits as part of the government's efforts to maintain proper records of three-wheelers.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Put-up-signages-for-auto-stands-HC-to-civic-bodies/Article1-630635.aspx
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the civic agencies in Delhi to put up necessary signages identifying auto stands earmarked in the city. The direction came after the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) said it has already earmarked 402 spots as designated auto stands. The court was hearing a PIL complaining that there was not a single legally authorised stand for the 55,000-odd autorickshaws registered in the Capital.
Counsel for Delhi Traffic Police, Jyoti Singh told a bench of chief justice Dipak Misra and justice Manmohan that the spots had been identified as 'halt and go' TSR stands after consultation with the area traffic officers.
She said a notification has been issued in this regard and published in newspapers.
However, when the bench directed the traffic police to install signages at these spots, Singh said it was the duty of the civic agencies. Following this, the bench directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Cantonment Board, National Highway Authority of India and Public Works Department to put up the signages in their respective areas for public convenience.
In response to the request made by the petitioner for a detailed list of all spots, the transport department has posted the exhaustive list of 402 spots on its website.
Badges distributed: Meera Bhatia, counsel for the transport department told the court that 29,300 badges have been distributed to auto drivers till now. She said the aim is to prevent autorickshaw drivers from committing crime against passengers, a trend increasingly witnessed in the recent past.
"Possession of a badge and biometric connotes an element of certification. These will be issued only after verification of the character and antecedents of such drivers," she said.
Over 10,000 autorickshaws had gone off the city roads from November 14, 2010, with Delhi government cancelling their permits for failing to comply with the prescribed guidelines.
Auto owners had been asked to go for smart card-based permits as part of the government's efforts to maintain proper records of three-wheelers.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Put-up-signages-for-auto-stands-HC-to-civic-bodies/Article1-630635.aspx
Traffic cops gear up for wedding rush on roads
Thursday, Nov 25, 2010
The Delhi Traffic Police have pulled up their socks to keep the city roads free from traffic chaos during the approaching wedding season. The traffic police have decided to crack down on everything — from drunk driving to parking violation — during the wedding season. "The wedding season is troublesome, but we will make proper arrangements to ensure that someone's baraat (marriage procession) doesn't throw a spanner in the traffic flow," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
The traffic police will not only deploy more officers on duty at areas prone to congestion, but will also make sure that they're around for longer by adding more hours to their duty timing.
The Capital is slated to witness more than 3,500 weddings till December 15. Around 600 official wedding venues like parks, community halls and baraat ghars in Delhi have been booked till date.
"An extra shift — from 8 pm to 1 am — will be added to the duty roster of officers deployed, especially in areas like Chhatarpur, which witness maximum congestion. The presence of the chase-and-challan squad will also be strengthened in these areas," Garg said.
Traffic officers deployed at areas like the GT Karnal Road, Dwarka Bypass, Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden and the Rohtak Road among others have been specifically instructed to keep an eye on parking violation and drunken driving.
"We will crack down hard on drunken driving to ensure that people behave better on the roads. Instead of fining them on the spot, we have been told to confiscate their licences. Vehicles found improperly parked will be towed away," said a senior traffic police officer.
The traffic police are also working in tandem with the local police at various locations to penalise venue owners found abetting to improper parking of vehicles.
"We have already cancelled the licence of a popular farmhouse owner in south Delhi for allowing his guests to park wherever they liked during a wedding function recently. More people will be dealt with the same treatment if found flouting any norm," Garg added.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-cops-gear-up-for-wedding-rush-on-roads/Article1-630633.aspx
The Delhi Traffic Police have pulled up their socks to keep the city roads free from traffic chaos during the approaching wedding season. The traffic police have decided to crack down on everything — from drunk driving to parking violation — during the wedding season. "The wedding season is troublesome, but we will make proper arrangements to ensure that someone's baraat (marriage procession) doesn't throw a spanner in the traffic flow," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
The traffic police will not only deploy more officers on duty at areas prone to congestion, but will also make sure that they're around for longer by adding more hours to their duty timing.
The Capital is slated to witness more than 3,500 weddings till December 15. Around 600 official wedding venues like parks, community halls and baraat ghars in Delhi have been booked till date.
"An extra shift — from 8 pm to 1 am — will be added to the duty roster of officers deployed, especially in areas like Chhatarpur, which witness maximum congestion. The presence of the chase-and-challan squad will also be strengthened in these areas," Garg said.
Traffic officers deployed at areas like the GT Karnal Road, Dwarka Bypass, Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden and the Rohtak Road among others have been specifically instructed to keep an eye on parking violation and drunken driving.
"We will crack down hard on drunken driving to ensure that people behave better on the roads. Instead of fining them on the spot, we have been told to confiscate their licences. Vehicles found improperly parked will be towed away," said a senior traffic police officer.
The traffic police are also working in tandem with the local police at various locations to penalise venue owners found abetting to improper parking of vehicles.
"We have already cancelled the licence of a popular farmhouse owner in south Delhi for allowing his guests to park wherever they liked during a wedding function recently. More people will be dealt with the same treatment if found flouting any norm," Garg added.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-cops-gear-up-for-wedding-rush-on-roads/Article1-630633.aspx
Monday, November 22, 2010
DTC can’t do without space near Yamuna
Tuesday, Nov 23, 2010
Delhi government's limpet-like affinity for the Millennium Bus Depot is hardly surprising given the fact that even with the 1,000 buses capacity depot, the transport department is short of parking space for 3,000 buses if it is to implement the SC-directives to follow the RITES report on sustainable public transport.
According to the report, Delhi needs 10,000 buses for a viable public transport system and the parking space available in the city at present, including the Millennium Depot, can cater to just about 5,000 buses. Bluelines have no designated parking and are parked on the roads at night, a fate that DTC may not be very far from should it lose the Millennium Depot either to activism or to a court order. Minus Millennium, DTC has parking space for just about 4,000 vehicles whereas its own fleet strength now stands at more than 5,000. Of this parking space for 4,000 vehicles, space for 1,000 parking at Barapullah and at Dayal Singh College has been added only very recently.
The urgency about parking space is even more because the first bus cluster is due very soon and the transport department has already got sanctions for four more with 700-odd buses. This means that in the next year or so, 900 more buses are already expected to come into the city with no provision of parking.
Chief secretary Rakesh Mehta on Monday admitted that there was indeed a problem of parking when he said that without the depot "we will park our buses along the Ring Road from Ashram,'' going on to add that far from vacating that spot, the government's priority now was to bolster parking capacity if it was to heed the SC directive.
"It is almost a dilemma. There is Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan kicking up a storm about the depot coming up on the river bed. But how can that be, when it has been a fly ash dumping ground for the past 45 years? The area our depot covers has 25-30m of fly ash. We also have to implement the SC directive about cleaning the city's air. We not just risk SC's ire but more importantly it is almost a trade off between a clean river and clean air. As it is we are spending Rs 3,000 crore on cleaning up the river,'' Mehta said. He, however, conceded that the government had indeed said the depot was to be a temporary affair but said "by that we had essentially meant that we would not be constructing office buildings or other such things there.''
In its quest for more parking space for buses, Delhi government is at present looking at a 200-bus parking at Rajghat and another one with a capacity of about 500 to 600, when the Rajghat power plant closes down. Beyond that, however, there are no concrete plans though the transport department is said to be looking at options like the Burari drain.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/DTC-cant-do-without-space-near-Yamuna/articleshow/6972453.cms#ixzz1655hd6ye
Delhi government's limpet-like affinity for the Millennium Bus Depot is hardly surprising given the fact that even with the 1,000 buses capacity depot, the transport department is short of parking space for 3,000 buses if it is to implement the SC-directives to follow the RITES report on sustainable public transport.
According to the report, Delhi needs 10,000 buses for a viable public transport system and the parking space available in the city at present, including the Millennium Depot, can cater to just about 5,000 buses. Bluelines have no designated parking and are parked on the roads at night, a fate that DTC may not be very far from should it lose the Millennium Depot either to activism or to a court order. Minus Millennium, DTC has parking space for just about 4,000 vehicles whereas its own fleet strength now stands at more than 5,000. Of this parking space for 4,000 vehicles, space for 1,000 parking at Barapullah and at Dayal Singh College has been added only very recently.
The urgency about parking space is even more because the first bus cluster is due very soon and the transport department has already got sanctions for four more with 700-odd buses. This means that in the next year or so, 900 more buses are already expected to come into the city with no provision of parking.
Chief secretary Rakesh Mehta on Monday admitted that there was indeed a problem of parking when he said that without the depot "we will park our buses along the Ring Road from Ashram,'' going on to add that far from vacating that spot, the government's priority now was to bolster parking capacity if it was to heed the SC directive.
"It is almost a dilemma. There is Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan kicking up a storm about the depot coming up on the river bed. But how can that be, when it has been a fly ash dumping ground for the past 45 years? The area our depot covers has 25-30m of fly ash. We also have to implement the SC directive about cleaning the city's air. We not just risk SC's ire but more importantly it is almost a trade off between a clean river and clean air. As it is we are spending Rs 3,000 crore on cleaning up the river,'' Mehta said. He, however, conceded that the government had indeed said the depot was to be a temporary affair but said "by that we had essentially meant that we would not be constructing office buildings or other such things there.''
In its quest for more parking space for buses, Delhi government is at present looking at a 200-bus parking at Rajghat and another one with a capacity of about 500 to 600, when the Rajghat power plant closes down. Beyond that, however, there are no concrete plans though the transport department is said to be looking at options like the Burari drain.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/DTC-cant-do-without-space-near-Yamuna/articleshow/6972453.cms#ixzz1655hd6ye
Traffic plan works, jams give trade fair a miss
Tuesday, Nov 23, 2010
Unlike its earlier editions, the India International Trade Fair this year has not seen any major traffic snarls around the premises of Pragati Maidan — where it is being held since November 14 — including on Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg and the Purana Qila Road.
According to officials, around one lakh people have been visiting the Trade Fair daily since it opened for the general public on November 19. Despite the crowd, the Delhi Traffic Police maintains that their meticulous planning, along with zero tolerance for violations, has led to smooth vehicular movement.
"This year, we worked on the basic premise that congestion is caused by people who stop or park their vehicles improperly on Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg and the Purana Qila Road. So, we made enforcement strict. And then people themselves are not trying to violate the law," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg told Newsline.
For the IITF, the Traffic Police has deployed 10 tow-away cranes, 32 motorcycle-borne personnel, and 370 other staff at various levels working in one single shift to ensure enforcement.
The result: in the past seven days there have been only nine violations of improper parking, and 33 people have been challaned for stopping on the road. The challan figures stood at 108 during IITF-2009.
"It is interesting how people have understood the good intentions of the Traffic Police and there are such few violations. The public announcement system is also working properly, and our men ensure there is no congestion on roads and the pedestrians are helped," Garg said.
The police also wants the pedestrians to use the foot overbridge. "We could not enforce the use of FOB this time due to accessibility and mobility issues. So, we decided to facilitate the movement of pedestrians," he said. Blocking all right turns on the Mathura Road has also helped ease traffic flow. The IITF is on till November 27.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/traffic-plan-works-jams-give-trade-fair-a-miss/714674/0
Unlike its earlier editions, the India International Trade Fair this year has not seen any major traffic snarls around the premises of Pragati Maidan — where it is being held since November 14 — including on Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg and the Purana Qila Road.
According to officials, around one lakh people have been visiting the Trade Fair daily since it opened for the general public on November 19. Despite the crowd, the Delhi Traffic Police maintains that their meticulous planning, along with zero tolerance for violations, has led to smooth vehicular movement.
"This year, we worked on the basic premise that congestion is caused by people who stop or park their vehicles improperly on Mathura Road, Bhairon Marg and the Purana Qila Road. So, we made enforcement strict. And then people themselves are not trying to violate the law," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg told Newsline.
For the IITF, the Traffic Police has deployed 10 tow-away cranes, 32 motorcycle-borne personnel, and 370 other staff at various levels working in one single shift to ensure enforcement.
The result: in the past seven days there have been only nine violations of improper parking, and 33 people have been challaned for stopping on the road. The challan figures stood at 108 during IITF-2009.
"It is interesting how people have understood the good intentions of the Traffic Police and there are such few violations. The public announcement system is also working properly, and our men ensure there is no congestion on roads and the pedestrians are helped," Garg said.
The police also wants the pedestrians to use the foot overbridge. "We could not enforce the use of FOB this time due to accessibility and mobility issues. So, we decided to facilitate the movement of pedestrians," he said. Blocking all right turns on the Mathura Road has also helped ease traffic flow. The IITF is on till November 27.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/traffic-plan-works-jams-give-trade-fair-a-miss/714674/0
Traffic Police get tough on VIP violators in south Delhi
Tuesday, Nov 23, 2010
After teaching several VIP car owners a lesson in the New Delhi area, the Delhi Traffic Police have shifted their attention southwards. A deputy inspector general-level intelligence officer was prosecuted for a defective number plate on the August Kranti Marg on Saturday. "The officer, who is on deputation to an intelligence agency from the armed forces, was in his silver Hyundai Accent car. While the number plate of the car stated that it belonged to the police, the rear windshield had a "Press" sticker on it," said a senior Traffic Police officer.
He said the vehicle's registration number was noted down and the vehicle was traced to a person living in government quarters in Shivalik locality of Malviya Nagar.
"A traffic inspector was dispatched to the offender's home where the latter was served a challan for using a defective number plate," the officer said.
Though the offender was fined a mere Rs 100, the traffic police is in no mood to let him off just yet.
"Though the intelligence officer tried to throw his weight around, he has been personally warned to get his number plate changed. We will keep posting challans on his car till he complies," the officer added.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-Police-get-tough-on-VIP-violators-in-south-Delhi/Article1-629745.aspx
After teaching several VIP car owners a lesson in the New Delhi area, the Delhi Traffic Police have shifted their attention southwards. A deputy inspector general-level intelligence officer was prosecuted for a defective number plate on the August Kranti Marg on Saturday. "The officer, who is on deputation to an intelligence agency from the armed forces, was in his silver Hyundai Accent car. While the number plate of the car stated that it belonged to the police, the rear windshield had a "Press" sticker on it," said a senior Traffic Police officer.
He said the vehicle's registration number was noted down and the vehicle was traced to a person living in government quarters in Shivalik locality of Malviya Nagar.
"A traffic inspector was dispatched to the offender's home where the latter was served a challan for using a defective number plate," the officer said.
Though the offender was fined a mere Rs 100, the traffic police is in no mood to let him off just yet.
"Though the intelligence officer tried to throw his weight around, he has been personally warned to get his number plate changed. We will keep posting challans on his car till he complies," the officer added.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-Police-get-tough-on-VIP-violators-in-south-Delhi/Article1-629745.aspx
Traffic Police against BRT on 3-lane roads
Tuesday, Nov 23, 2010
Delhi Traffic Police has cautioned the Delhi Government that they should not build Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors in future on three-lane roads in the national Capital. The Delhi Government has also asked UTTIPEC, an engineering body constituted by the Lieutenant Governor, to examine the proposed BRT corridors of the RITES study across the city. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta on Friday.
Failing to learn lesson from failure of the pilot BRT project between Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate, the Government has asked UTTIPEC to examine the report of the RITES pertaining on BRT future proposals. It is noted that traffic police has cautioned the Government that it should not execute any BRT corridor project on three lanes road. The traffic police had earlier cautioned the Delhi Government not to execute pilot BRT project on the congested stretch. "If the project would be executed on three lanes road, it would lead to chaos and traffic snarls on the road," it said.
Interestingly, the first BRT corridor which got buried in tremendous public opposition is yet to run its full stretch between Ambedkar Nagar and Delhi Gate. The outcry was so huge that the Government opted for mere line-demarcated lanes between Moolchand and Delhi Gate rather than the earlier physical division. Even now, there is little enforcement on the second stretch, even as travelling time in the first part remains much higher than it was before BRT came into being.
The RITES report, titled 'Transport Demand Forecast Study on Development of Public Transport Network', was submitted to the Government in February this year. The report has suggested to the Government that another 345km be added to BRT in the city, with seven of the 18 proposed stretches — including Central Secretariat-Vasant Kunj, Badarpur-IGI and Dhaula Kuan-Dabri - slated for phase III. The transport department is already working on BRT phase II, between Shastri Park and Karawal Nagar. At Rs 14-20 crore per kilometre, phase III is likely to cost upwards of Rs 6000 crore. As of now, the proposal is a part of a Rites report on the future of public transport and awaits the government's nod. The report recommends 18 new corridors in all, the alignments for which are yet to be decided.
"We would have to examine it on the future BRT proposals," Mehta said adding that the pilot project between Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate was executed in a haphazard manner.
"Now, the government wants to ensure proper planning before executing BRT project on any stretch. UTTEPEC has been asked to examine the routes of the BRT corridor proposed by RITES in its future traffic forecast report 2010," he said. To avoid any controversy, the government is planning to involve people and educate them on BRT corridor and its benefits.
Strangely, Chief Secretary and Commissioner (transport) R K Varma are locked horns over the BRT future plan as the latter wants that DIMTS should be executed BRT corridor project while CS wants that road owning agency should execute it.
Original news source http://www.dailypioneer.com/297694/Traffic-Police-against-BRT-on-3-lane-roads.html
Delhi Traffic Police has cautioned the Delhi Government that they should not build Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors in future on three-lane roads in the national Capital. The Delhi Government has also asked UTTIPEC, an engineering body constituted by the Lieutenant Governor, to examine the proposed BRT corridors of the RITES study across the city. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta on Friday.
Failing to learn lesson from failure of the pilot BRT project between Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate, the Government has asked UTTIPEC to examine the report of the RITES pertaining on BRT future proposals. It is noted that traffic police has cautioned the Government that it should not execute any BRT corridor project on three lanes road. The traffic police had earlier cautioned the Delhi Government not to execute pilot BRT project on the congested stretch. "If the project would be executed on three lanes road, it would lead to chaos and traffic snarls on the road," it said.
Interestingly, the first BRT corridor which got buried in tremendous public opposition is yet to run its full stretch between Ambedkar Nagar and Delhi Gate. The outcry was so huge that the Government opted for mere line-demarcated lanes between Moolchand and Delhi Gate rather than the earlier physical division. Even now, there is little enforcement on the second stretch, even as travelling time in the first part remains much higher than it was before BRT came into being.
The RITES report, titled 'Transport Demand Forecast Study on Development of Public Transport Network', was submitted to the Government in February this year. The report has suggested to the Government that another 345km be added to BRT in the city, with seven of the 18 proposed stretches — including Central Secretariat-Vasant Kunj, Badarpur-IGI and Dhaula Kuan-Dabri - slated for phase III. The transport department is already working on BRT phase II, between Shastri Park and Karawal Nagar. At Rs 14-20 crore per kilometre, phase III is likely to cost upwards of Rs 6000 crore. As of now, the proposal is a part of a Rites report on the future of public transport and awaits the government's nod. The report recommends 18 new corridors in all, the alignments for which are yet to be decided.
"We would have to examine it on the future BRT proposals," Mehta said adding that the pilot project between Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate was executed in a haphazard manner.
"Now, the government wants to ensure proper planning before executing BRT project on any stretch. UTTEPEC has been asked to examine the routes of the BRT corridor proposed by RITES in its future traffic forecast report 2010," he said. To avoid any controversy, the government is planning to involve people and educate them on BRT corridor and its benefits.
Strangely, Chief Secretary and Commissioner (transport) R K Varma are locked horns over the BRT future plan as the latter wants that DIMTS should be executed BRT corridor project while CS wants that road owning agency should execute it.
Original news source http://www.dailypioneer.com/297694/Traffic-Police-against-BRT-on-3-lane-roads.html
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Trade fair rush begins today, steer clear of Pragati Maidan
Frisday, Nov 19, 2010
With the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF) being opened to the general public from Friday, motorists are advised to steer clear of the road network around Pragati Maidan to avoid getting caught in traffic jams. Going by the experience of the past several years, about 1.5 lakh visitors are expected to congregate at the venue every day. And the traffic police and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) have made special arrangements to manage the rush.
Commuters not headed to the fair have been advised to avoid roads like Mathura Road, Bhairon Road, Sher Shah Road, Purana Qila Road, Ring Road and those passing through ITO and India Gate. Those headed to the fair should avoid bringing their private vehicles as parking around Pragati Maidan will be scarce and expensive. Entry to the trade fair will be banned after 4pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends for crowd control.
Visitors can either take the Metro and alight at the Pragati Maidan Metro station or take DTC buses running on special trade fair routes to reach the venue. DTC route numbers 344, 355, 374, 403, 405, 411,419, 423, 429, 438 and 980 have stoppage at Mathura Road. "There is no parking in the vicinity of Pragati Maidan. Those using private conveyance must use the 'park & ride' facility provided at Sunehri Pullah near Dayal Singh College on Lodhi Road and Ashpond behind Rajghat and then take the free DTC shuttles to reach Pragati Maidan," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
Delhi Metro will run trains at peak hour frequency throughout the day and will press into service additional trains to cater to the rush of commuters. "Trains will run at peak hour frequency throughout the day, from 8am to 9pm. Additional 23 trains will be pressed into service which are normally withdrawn during off-peak hours. The added trains will make over 100 extra trips every day during the fair," said a DMRC spokesperson.
According to DMRC's estimates, about one lakh visitors are expected to use the Metro to reach
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Trade-fair-rush-begins-today-steer-clear-of-Pragati-Maidan/articleshow/6950998.cms#ixzz15hZ9HuDb
With the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF) being opened to the general public from Friday, motorists are advised to steer clear of the road network around Pragati Maidan to avoid getting caught in traffic jams. Going by the experience of the past several years, about 1.5 lakh visitors are expected to congregate at the venue every day. And the traffic police and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) have made special arrangements to manage the rush.
Commuters not headed to the fair have been advised to avoid roads like Mathura Road, Bhairon Road, Sher Shah Road, Purana Qila Road, Ring Road and those passing through ITO and India Gate. Those headed to the fair should avoid bringing their private vehicles as parking around Pragati Maidan will be scarce and expensive. Entry to the trade fair will be banned after 4pm on weekdays and 6pm on weekends for crowd control.
Visitors can either take the Metro and alight at the Pragati Maidan Metro station or take DTC buses running on special trade fair routes to reach the venue. DTC route numbers 344, 355, 374, 403, 405, 411,419, 423, 429, 438 and 980 have stoppage at Mathura Road. "There is no parking in the vicinity of Pragati Maidan. Those using private conveyance must use the 'park & ride' facility provided at Sunehri Pullah near Dayal Singh College on Lodhi Road and Ashpond behind Rajghat and then take the free DTC shuttles to reach Pragati Maidan," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
Delhi Metro will run trains at peak hour frequency throughout the day and will press into service additional trains to cater to the rush of commuters. "Trains will run at peak hour frequency throughout the day, from 8am to 9pm. Additional 23 trains will be pressed into service which are normally withdrawn during off-peak hours. The added trains will make over 100 extra trips every day during the fair," said a DMRC spokesperson.
According to DMRC's estimates, about one lakh visitors are expected to use the Metro to reach
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Trade-fair-rush-begins-today-steer-clear-of-Pragati-Maidan/articleshow/6950998.cms#ixzz15hZ9HuDb
Traffic police put drivers on right lane
Thursday, Nov 18, 2010
Living life in the fast lane, literally, is going to be a reality for Delhiites soon. All you have to do is stick to your lane. Taking a cue from the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi Traffic Police has begun implementing lane driving on 10 select stretches in the city. Lane driving is supposed to cut travel time by half on these stretches.
"I see no reason why the stretch from Ashram Chowk to Naraina on the Ring Road, which does not have a single traffic light, be choked with vehicles? We have started this
drive where buses and trucks would ply only on the extreme left lane, autorickshaws and utility vehicles on the middle lane and cars on the right lane, which will also be the fast lane," said BK Gupta, commissioner of police.
The 10 arterial stretches including the outer circle of Connaught Place, Lodhi Road, Aurobindo Marg and Nelson Mandela Marg have been made a part of the pilot project - the brainchild of the new commissioner of Delhi Police.
Young traffic policemen on Pulsar motorcycles have been deployed to keep Delhiites in line and on their lane. Gupta implemented the project two days after taking over as the new police chief.
"We are going slow on slapping fines on vehicles that stray into a different lane as our main objective is to educate the citizens first. We will start challaning later," said Gupta.
Bollards and policemen holding loud speakers were deployed on these roads to see that lane driving was implemented.
"Buses halt wherever they want to, sometime occupying the adjacent lanes and blocking traffic. This has to stop," said Gupta.
The police have also started cracking down on vehicles parked on this stretch that hamper traffic movement. But enforcing lane driving is an uphill task, as the road would be used both by motorcycles and light good carrier vehicles.
"The motorcyclists can drive on the middle lane as well as the fast lane. No one will be allowed to stop on these lanes," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
The police said once this becomes a success, they would implement the lane system on other roads as well.
"We have started this as a pilot project and I see no reason why this cannot be implemented across Delhi," said Gupta, who is personally monitoring the project by taking rounds of the select stretches.
"We have received calls from people who said earlier they used to take half an hour to cross SP Marg during peak hours, now that has been reduced to 10 minutes," said Garg.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-police-put-drivers-on-right-lane/Article1-627761.aspx
Living life in the fast lane, literally, is going to be a reality for Delhiites soon. All you have to do is stick to your lane. Taking a cue from the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi Traffic Police has begun implementing lane driving on 10 select stretches in the city. Lane driving is supposed to cut travel time by half on these stretches.
"I see no reason why the stretch from Ashram Chowk to Naraina on the Ring Road, which does not have a single traffic light, be choked with vehicles? We have started this
drive where buses and trucks would ply only on the extreme left lane, autorickshaws and utility vehicles on the middle lane and cars on the right lane, which will also be the fast lane," said BK Gupta, commissioner of police.
The 10 arterial stretches including the outer circle of Connaught Place, Lodhi Road, Aurobindo Marg and Nelson Mandela Marg have been made a part of the pilot project - the brainchild of the new commissioner of Delhi Police.
Young traffic policemen on Pulsar motorcycles have been deployed to keep Delhiites in line and on their lane. Gupta implemented the project two days after taking over as the new police chief.
"We are going slow on slapping fines on vehicles that stray into a different lane as our main objective is to educate the citizens first. We will start challaning later," said Gupta.
Bollards and policemen holding loud speakers were deployed on these roads to see that lane driving was implemented.
"Buses halt wherever they want to, sometime occupying the adjacent lanes and blocking traffic. This has to stop," said Gupta.
The police have also started cracking down on vehicles parked on this stretch that hamper traffic movement. But enforcing lane driving is an uphill task, as the road would be used both by motorcycles and light good carrier vehicles.
"The motorcyclists can drive on the middle lane as well as the fast lane. No one will be allowed to stop on these lanes," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
The police said once this becomes a success, they would implement the lane system on other roads as well.
"We have started this as a pilot project and I see no reason why this cannot be implemented across Delhi," said Gupta, who is personally monitoring the project by taking rounds of the select stretches.
"We have received calls from people who said earlier they used to take half an hour to cross SP Marg during peak hours, now that has been reduced to 10 minutes," said Garg.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Traffic-police-put-drivers-on-right-lane/Article1-627761.aspx
Two more weeks before Barapullah road opens
Wednesday, Nov 17, 2010
It will take at least two more weeks before the Barapullah elevated road is thrown open for general public. Senior Public Works Department (PWD) engineers said the department and the MCD are yet to carry out some modifications on the stretches that connect the elevated area with arterial roads.
Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta, along with senior traffic police and PWD engineers, is likely to visit the road on Wednesday. Members of an NGO, which is also a part of the special task force appointed by the High Court to find solution to traffic problems in Delhi, has raised objections on traffic police's decision to not allow buses on the elevated road.
"The NGO believes that such a move will further discourage people from using public transport. As it was traffic police's request to not allow buses on this road, a joint inspection is being carried to see the pros and cons of allowing buses," a senior PWD engineer said requesting anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Two-more-weeks-before-Barapullah-road-opens/Article1-627320.aspx
It will take at least two more weeks before the Barapullah elevated road is thrown open for general public. Senior Public Works Department (PWD) engineers said the department and the MCD are yet to carry out some modifications on the stretches that connect the elevated area with arterial roads.
Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta, along with senior traffic police and PWD engineers, is likely to visit the road on Wednesday. Members of an NGO, which is also a part of the special task force appointed by the High Court to find solution to traffic problems in Delhi, has raised objections on traffic police's decision to not allow buses on the elevated road.
"The NGO believes that such a move will further discourage people from using public transport. As it was traffic police's request to not allow buses on this road, a joint inspection is being carried to see the pros and cons of allowing buses," a senior PWD engineer said requesting anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Two-more-weeks-before-Barapullah-road-opens/Article1-627320.aspx
Highest ridership for Metro on Monday
Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010
At least 50,000 people who use road for commuting took the Metro on Monday as 10,500 auto-rickshaws went off the roads due to the suspension of their permits. The move led Delhi Metro to register the highest ridership ever. Delhi Metro registered an all time high ridership on Monday with a record of more than 16-lakh commuters traveled
by Metro, said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson.
"Generally 15 lakh to 15.5 lakh commuters use the fleet on a day. But on Monday the ridership showed a steep trek possibly due to inadequacy in auto service," said the spokesperson.
Earlier, prior to the Games, Metro ridership had crossed 15 lakhs on September 27 when Delhi Traffic Police had enforced restrictions of vehicular movement on Commonwealth Games dedicated lanes. "On September 27, 15,56,563 commuters traveled by Metro on a single day," said the spokesperson.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Highest-ridership-for-Metro-on-Monday/Article1-627181.aspx
At least 50,000 people who use road for commuting took the Metro on Monday as 10,500 auto-rickshaws went off the roads due to the suspension of their permits. The move led Delhi Metro to register the highest ridership ever. Delhi Metro registered an all time high ridership on Monday with a record of more than 16-lakh commuters traveled
by Metro, said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson.
"Generally 15 lakh to 15.5 lakh commuters use the fleet on a day. But on Monday the ridership showed a steep trek possibly due to inadequacy in auto service," said the spokesperson.
Earlier, prior to the Games, Metro ridership had crossed 15 lakhs on September 27 when Delhi Traffic Police had enforced restrictions of vehicular movement on Commonwealth Games dedicated lanes. "On September 27, 15,56,563 commuters traveled by Metro on a single day," said the spokesperson.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Highest-ridership-for-Metro-on-Monday/Article1-627181.aspx
Northern access road barely used, IGI traffic continues to choke NH-8
Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010
A few hurriedly put up signages - some on sheets of paper - at the start of the northern access road by the traffic police were the only indicators of the new road that promised to make driving to IGI Airport's terminal 3 a cakewalk. While it does ensure a smooth ride, it is evident that barely one car passes through the new tunnel road every 15 minutes.
Monday, which saw a major jump in the traffic volume as compared to Sunday, saw NH-8 choked with slowmoving traffic for most part of the day. The evening was specially chaotic with both airport traffic and that moving towards Gurgaon concentrated on the same stretch.
'' With only one carriageway of the Northern Access Road open so far, traffic exiting the airport has to perforce use NH-8 . On the other hand, while it can make things easier when one is driving towards the airport, nobody seems to know about the road. One naturally takes the diversion to the international terminal from the airport flyover not knowing that the access road is in fact approachable only from the domestic airport side. There are no signs on the main road to indicate that,'' said an airport official.
The opening of the other carriageway , which officials claimed will be operational by the middle of the week, is likely to be delayed further as a lot of work still remains to be carried out.
Meanwhile, those using domestic terminal 1D were left at the mercy of a long crumbling road where the only saving grace was the absence of a substantial part of daily traffic. '' While driving up to the airport was never really a problem, for the past several months we have had to drive up to Thimayya Road, take a u-turn at the crossing and drive back along the Dwarka underpass to NH-8 . The road that connected the domestic terminal with NH-8 has been closed due to some construction work or the other , and the alternate route is not only longer but also in a very bad shape,'' said DP Tomar, who was returning from the airport.
An airport employee, who uses the road regularly, said that the Uturn specially was a problem area. '' The road leading up to the traffic light is used almost exclusively by people leaving the airport. However, at the light more traffic from Delhi Cantt joins in and the U-turn is really narrow and in an extremely poor condition. From that point up till NH-8 , the road is normally always choked,'' he said.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Northern-access-road-barely-used-IGI-traffic-continues-to-choke-NH-8/articleshow/6933399.cms#ixzz15ccGPocP
A few hurriedly put up signages - some on sheets of paper - at the start of the northern access road by the traffic police were the only indicators of the new road that promised to make driving to IGI Airport's terminal 3 a cakewalk. While it does ensure a smooth ride, it is evident that barely one car passes through the new tunnel road every 15 minutes.
Monday, which saw a major jump in the traffic volume as compared to Sunday, saw NH-8 choked with slowmoving traffic for most part of the day. The evening was specially chaotic with both airport traffic and that moving towards Gurgaon concentrated on the same stretch.
'' With only one carriageway of the Northern Access Road open so far, traffic exiting the airport has to perforce use NH-8 . On the other hand, while it can make things easier when one is driving towards the airport, nobody seems to know about the road. One naturally takes the diversion to the international terminal from the airport flyover not knowing that the access road is in fact approachable only from the domestic airport side. There are no signs on the main road to indicate that,'' said an airport official.
The opening of the other carriageway , which officials claimed will be operational by the middle of the week, is likely to be delayed further as a lot of work still remains to be carried out.
Meanwhile, those using domestic terminal 1D were left at the mercy of a long crumbling road where the only saving grace was the absence of a substantial part of daily traffic. '' While driving up to the airport was never really a problem, for the past several months we have had to drive up to Thimayya Road, take a u-turn at the crossing and drive back along the Dwarka underpass to NH-8 . The road that connected the domestic terminal with NH-8 has been closed due to some construction work or the other , and the alternate route is not only longer but also in a very bad shape,'' said DP Tomar, who was returning from the airport.
An airport employee, who uses the road regularly, said that the Uturn specially was a problem area. '' The road leading up to the traffic light is used almost exclusively by people leaving the airport. However, at the light more traffic from Delhi Cantt joins in and the U-turn is really narrow and in an extremely poor condition. From that point up till NH-8 , the road is normally always choked,'' he said.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Northern-access-road-barely-used-IGI-traffic-continues-to-choke-NH-8/articleshow/6933399.cms#ixzz15ccGPocP
Cabinet clears 15 new BRT corridors
Monday, Nov 15, 2010
Even as the fate of Delhi's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor—a 14.5km stretch from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate— hangs fire, the Delhi government on Monday gave the go-ahead for an ambitious plan to construct 15 new BRT corridors spanning 359.9 kilometres. To prevent people driving their private vehicles to the Capital's central vistas, the government has also asked the High Court-appointed special task force to prepare a concrete plan to levy congestion tax and install automatic parking meters in the Capital.
The government also cleared nine new metro lines covering 148.2 km and a 40.3 km stretch of light rail transit (LRT) system for the Capital. The new BRT corridors, metro lines and the LRT line will be constructed by 2021.
Senior Delhi government officials said keeping pace with growing traffic and transport demands, RITES, a central government consultancy firm on transport and infrastructure projects, had suggested these corridors in a recent report 'Transport Demand Forecast and Development of Public Transport System for Delhi'.
"A 12-member special task force constituted by the Delhi High Court to look for solutions to the increasing traffic problem in the city had approved the report in May this year. By putting its stamp on the report, the Delhi Cabinet has paved the way to take these projects to the drawing board," said a senior Delhi government officer.
Though new metro lines and BRT corridors have been approved to strengthen the public transport system in the Capital, senior officials said they are yet to explore how these projects will be funded.
A strong BRT and metro network is vital for Delhi considering the rate at which private vehicles are increasing in the Capital. Delhi's vehicle count has already crossed 65 lakh and 900-1,000 new vehicles are registered everyday.
Senior Delhi government officials said the Cabinet has asked the special task force to come up with a concrete plan on how and in which areas it plans to introduce congestion charges on the lines of cities like Singapore and London. To strengthen the parking system, the Cabinet has also agreed to install automatic parking meters most commercial hubs in the city. According to a task force member, Central Market of Lajpat Nagar has been identified as a commercial centre to launch the parking meters pilot project.
"The parking meters will help do away with problems like parking more vehicles than authorised limit, unreliable and rude parking staff and overcharging," the member said.
"On congestion tax, we have been asked to carry out a study on roads that require congestion taxing and alternate routes for motorists that do not want to pay the tax," he added.
The Cabinet has also agreed to start a pilot project in Anand Vihar to map the entire residential area on Delhi's geo-spatial map to estimate how much parking space the area has and then interact with resident welfare associations to find ways to tackle the city's fast growing vehicle numbers, given the space constraints.
The Cabinet also agreed to send a reminder to the Centre to approve a bill to create Delhi Urban Mass Transit Authority — a central body to look into roads and transportation needs for the Capital.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cabinet-clears-15-new-BRT-corridors/H1-Article1-626764.aspx
Even as the fate of Delhi's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor—a 14.5km stretch from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate— hangs fire, the Delhi government on Monday gave the go-ahead for an ambitious plan to construct 15 new BRT corridors spanning 359.9 kilometres. To prevent people driving their private vehicles to the Capital's central vistas, the government has also asked the High Court-appointed special task force to prepare a concrete plan to levy congestion tax and install automatic parking meters in the Capital.
The government also cleared nine new metro lines covering 148.2 km and a 40.3 km stretch of light rail transit (LRT) system for the Capital. The new BRT corridors, metro lines and the LRT line will be constructed by 2021.
Senior Delhi government officials said keeping pace with growing traffic and transport demands, RITES, a central government consultancy firm on transport and infrastructure projects, had suggested these corridors in a recent report 'Transport Demand Forecast and Development of Public Transport System for Delhi'.
"A 12-member special task force constituted by the Delhi High Court to look for solutions to the increasing traffic problem in the city had approved the report in May this year. By putting its stamp on the report, the Delhi Cabinet has paved the way to take these projects to the drawing board," said a senior Delhi government officer.
Though new metro lines and BRT corridors have been approved to strengthen the public transport system in the Capital, senior officials said they are yet to explore how these projects will be funded.
A strong BRT and metro network is vital for Delhi considering the rate at which private vehicles are increasing in the Capital. Delhi's vehicle count has already crossed 65 lakh and 900-1,000 new vehicles are registered everyday.
Senior Delhi government officials said the Cabinet has asked the special task force to come up with a concrete plan on how and in which areas it plans to introduce congestion charges on the lines of cities like Singapore and London. To strengthen the parking system, the Cabinet has also agreed to install automatic parking meters most commercial hubs in the city. According to a task force member, Central Market of Lajpat Nagar has been identified as a commercial centre to launch the parking meters pilot project.
"The parking meters will help do away with problems like parking more vehicles than authorised limit, unreliable and rude parking staff and overcharging," the member said.
"On congestion tax, we have been asked to carry out a study on roads that require congestion taxing and alternate routes for motorists that do not want to pay the tax," he added.
The Cabinet has also agreed to start a pilot project in Anand Vihar to map the entire residential area on Delhi's geo-spatial map to estimate how much parking space the area has and then interact with resident welfare associations to find ways to tackle the city's fast growing vehicle numbers, given the space constraints.
The Cabinet also agreed to send a reminder to the Centre to approve a bill to create Delhi Urban Mass Transit Authority — a central body to look into roads and transportation needs for the Capital.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cabinet-clears-15-new-BRT-corridors/H1-Article1-626764.aspx
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Month later, elevated road yet to open
Monday, Nov 15, 2010
Even a month after the Commonwealth Games ended, there is uncertainty over the opening of the elevated road built over Barapullah Nullah, which would significantly improve connectivity between east and south Delhi.
Sources said while traffic police has reportedly given a nod to allow only light vehicles on this stretch, a transport and traffic body constituted by the Delhi government, which also has NGO representatives onboard, wants heavy vehicles, too, to be allowed on the road.
Meanwhile, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which was to demolish a small portion of a wall, built beside the parking area close to the elevated road, has not done so. ''We don't know the reason behind MCD's not doing this work even though the decision was taken after consulting them. We had fixed November 18 to open the stretch for commuters. Now it might get delayed further,'' said a senior Public Works Department (PWD) official.
Sources said that to find a solution to the deadlock, the chief secretary Rakesh Mehta is likely to hold a meeting on Monday. Mehta told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of Delhi pavilion at IITF that a decision on allowing traffic to ply on the elevated road has not yet been taken.
PWD officials also said they have been receiving calls and queries from people about the final opening of the 4.4km stretch. ''We have learnt that some of the NGO representatives in the transport body have suggested that only allowing light vehicles on this stretch would further discourage people from using public transport. Though we are not against this idea, we just can't keep delaying the opening of a mammoth project for months,'' said a PWD official.
PWD had claimed that once opened for traffic, the elevated road would reduce travel time between Sarai Kale Khan and INA market to only 7-8 minutes for light vehicles. This would also reduce congestion at Ashram crossing and between Sarai Kale Khan and AIIMS on Ring Road. PWD also plans to extend the road to UP Link Road in east Delhi to bring further relief to commuters.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Month-later-elevated-road-yet-to-open/articleshow/6927100.cms#ixzz15KeIeSRG
Even a month after the Commonwealth Games ended, there is uncertainty over the opening of the elevated road built over Barapullah Nullah, which would significantly improve connectivity between east and south Delhi.
Sources said while traffic police has reportedly given a nod to allow only light vehicles on this stretch, a transport and traffic body constituted by the Delhi government, which also has NGO representatives onboard, wants heavy vehicles, too, to be allowed on the road.
Meanwhile, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which was to demolish a small portion of a wall, built beside the parking area close to the elevated road, has not done so. ''We don't know the reason behind MCD's not doing this work even though the decision was taken after consulting them. We had fixed November 18 to open the stretch for commuters. Now it might get delayed further,'' said a senior Public Works Department (PWD) official.
Sources said that to find a solution to the deadlock, the chief secretary Rakesh Mehta is likely to hold a meeting on Monday. Mehta told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of Delhi pavilion at IITF that a decision on allowing traffic to ply on the elevated road has not yet been taken.
PWD officials also said they have been receiving calls and queries from people about the final opening of the 4.4km stretch. ''We have learnt that some of the NGO representatives in the transport body have suggested that only allowing light vehicles on this stretch would further discourage people from using public transport. Though we are not against this idea, we just can't keep delaying the opening of a mammoth project for months,'' said a PWD official.
PWD had claimed that once opened for traffic, the elevated road would reduce travel time between Sarai Kale Khan and INA market to only 7-8 minutes for light vehicles. This would also reduce congestion at Ashram crossing and between Sarai Kale Khan and AIIMS on Ring Road. PWD also plans to extend the road to UP Link Road in east Delhi to bring further relief to commuters.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Month-later-elevated-road-yet-to-open/articleshow/6927100.cms#ixzz15KeIeSRG
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