Thursday, March 31, 2011

CWG parking lot will now be a shelter for cluster buses

Thursday, March 31, 2011




Transport dept acts after Shunglu Committee report questions future use of Games projects

Finally moving forward on the Sunehri and Kushak Nallah parking lot, the government has decided that the Transport department will use it for cluster bus parking and will also pay the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) an annual rental. In a high-level meeting held on Tuesday, it was decided that the lot will be handed over to the Transport department for parking cluster buses.

The decision comes days after the Shunglu Committee report questioned the legacy value of several Commonwealth Games projects. The Shunglu Committee had noted that "legacy use was unclear during the project execution and even after project completion".

The government has now gone on an overdrive to tie up the loose ends before it publishes its final report.

The decision to construct the parking lot over the Sunehri and Kushak Nallahs was conceptualised in June 2008. The project was executed at the cost of Rs 321 crore. The lot has been ready since August 31, 2010, though the completion was delayed by three months.

Spread over 21,875 sq m by covering the Sunehri Nallah (behind Lodhi Hotel upto Dayal Singh College along Lodhi Road) and the Kushak Nallah (from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium south gate to the Bhisham Pitamah flyover), the parking lot has been constructed in the form of an elevated road and can accommodate 820 buses. Prime facilities including modern toilet complexes, restrooms, paved footpaths, a well-planned drainage system and underground utility ducts.

The Transport department will have to pay the MCD Rs 7 crore annually for its usage and, in turn, will provide free parking to cluster bus owners. The Transport department claimed they did not want to take over the parking lot till the cluster buses arrived.

"Buses of at least five clusters can be accommodated here. What the Shunglu Committee does not realise is that had we rented out the parking lot in October itself, we would have ended up paying huge amounts to the MCD without the lot being put to use," said a senior Transport official.

The first batch of 50 buses from the first cluster, being run by Star Bus, was to arrive by January. By April, 232 buses were to be up and running. The project has, however, run into delays; not a single bus has been launched till now.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 1:11 PM 0 comments

NHAI, PWD pass the buck as Ashram suffers

Thursday, March 31, 2011




There seems to be no immediate relief for commuters caught in the traffic mess at Ashram Chowk. The NHAI, which had appointed a consultant to find solutions to decongest the crossing, has abandoned it. It claims the proposed Kalindi Kunj bypass will offload traffic at the crossing and, hence, there is no need on its part to go head with the decongestion plan. 

A couple of months after NHAI floated a tender to engage a consultant for preparing the decongestion plan, Delhi PWD also invited bids for a similar work in September 2009. However, the latter scrapped the tender saying it would only be a duplication of what NHAI was doing. 

An NHAI official said that after the consultant had submitted the first part of the study report, the consultancy was terminated. "The NH-2, which is under our jurisdiction, starts from the Ashram crossing below the flyover. Since the snarl had become unmanageable, we had engaged a consultant to find a solution. Now with the Delhi PWD reviving the Kalindi Kunj bypass, the traffic heading towards Faridabad would largely use the new road," the officer said. 

Sources in Delhi PWD said that they are only consulting a firm for the project for now, and it would take time to award the work. This means, it would take a few more years for the new road to become operational. While the bypass road is likely to improve the traffic flow below the flyover at this congested crossing, there is no relief in sight for the Ring Road traffic. 

This issue has brought to light how there is complete lack of coordination among authorities, thus aggravating the problems. "Ring Road is not under our jurisdiction. The agency concerned (PWD) should find a solution to this mess. We are confined only to the highway and not the flyover," said the NHAI official. 

The flyover on the Ring Road at the Ashram crossing gets choked during peak hours on all weekdays. "There is multiplicity of authority, and that's resulting in lack of coordination. The NHAI is doing what it deems fit even as the mess is worsening. And this is not just limited to Delhi but also the adjoining towns of Fariadabd and Gurgaon," pointed out Rohit Baluja, president of IRTE. 

The Ashram Chowk crisis has come as an indicator of how a critical congestion scare is looming large over the capital. Transport experts say Delhi is well on its way to becoming the next Bangkok, notorious for nightmarish traffic jams. There are also ominous indicators across the city of intersections and flyovers breaching their designed carrying capacity a lot earlier than estimated.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 1:11 PM 0 comments

Special traffic force comes back in action

Thursday, March 31, 2011




They look like any other traffic policemen on Delhi's roads but, unlike them, these officers are merciless when it comes to prosecuting violators. A group of specially trained traffic men called the special task force (STF) are now on Delhi's roads to rein in violations in troubled areas through saturated checks.

"Although intensified traffic management brought much relief, there are areas like BRT corridor, railway stations, market areas and no-entry points among others where general traffic policing did not curb violations," said an officer of Delhi traffic police.

Following success during the Commonwealth Games, Delhi traffic police on Saturday re-launched its STF with 10 teams for 10 districts. Absence of technical gadgets, habitual traffic violations and instances of trafficmen's connivance with violators prompted the re-launch of STF, the officer said.

"They not only catch violators, but also keep a strict vigil on their colleagues to identify those who connive with violators," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 1:10 PM 0 comments

Traffic cops go by the book to nail ‘tint’ offenders

Wednesday, March 30, 2011




With every effort to make windows of cars shed their tint going in vain, the Delhi Traffic Police has now decided to go by the book to teach violators a lesson.

As many as 22,000 challans were issued by the Traffic Police to motorists driving vehicles with tinted windows between January and February, but it seemed to have no effect on the residents of Delhi. As police noted that the Rs-100 fine for such offence was not helping, the department opted for a change in strategy, which refers to Section 22(a) of the Rules of Road Regulations. According to this, the department can direct violators to report back to the police in 72 hours.

Now, in a new drive against tinted glasses that was on between March 3 and to March 15, the Taffic department issued 4,337 challans, and has started issuing "report-back" directions, spurring as many as 3,814 violators to remove the dark films from their cars on the spot.

"In these 3,814 cases, the offenders did not want to go in for the hassle of reporting back to the Traffic Police. When a direction is issued, the driving licence or the registration certificate of the offender is seized, and returned only when he reports back after rectifying the issue," said Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).

However, as many as 2,855 directions were issued for violations such as tinted glasses, pressure horns (56 cases) and defective number plates (2,726 cases).

"As many as 2,401 offenders — out of a total of 2,855 — reported back to the department after rectifying the flaws in their vehicles. Of those who did not respond, 121 were summoned by the court and subsequently challaned," said Garg.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 1:10 PM 0 comments

HC orders inquiry into parking mafia

Wednesday, March 30, 2011




In an order that could put an end to the widely prevalent network between parking mafia and the police in the city, the Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police commissioner to inquire into one such nexus at Mangalam commercial complex in Rohini. "Such a nexus cannot be tolerated in ademocratic polity. The allegations raised are serious. Delhi government has a responsibility to curb the same ruthlessly. We add with a note of caution," said a bench of chief justice Dipak Misra and justice Sanjiv Khanna, while issuing notice to the Delhi government, Delhi Police commissioner, joint CP (vigilance) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

The court also sought a detailed report by May 4 from the police commissioner and the vigilance department.

RK Singh, lawyer for the petitioner Shamsher Kaushik, argued in court: "Parking areas in Delhi are a breeding ground for criminal activities. Free parking areas are converted into paid parking, thanks to such a nexus. Delhi Police annually earned around R1,000 crore in this manner."

The vigilance department of Delhi Police had recommended to the commissioner about filing of an FIR against SHO Rohini, four other policemen and two men working for the parking contractor. A sting operation had revealed the policemen's involvement in the running the unauthorised vehicle parking on a DDA plot.

However, as reported by Hindustan Times on March 24, commissioner BK Gupta directed only "departmental proceedings" against the accused, it was revealed in a reply to an RTI query by Kaushik.

"Information received through RTI confirmed it was an unauthorised parking area from where the mafia and police made money. Anyone who complained were threatened by police personnel," Kaushik said.

A day after HT published the report, the commissioner directed to file an FIR against the said policemen and persons. The policemen were also transferred to police lines.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 1:09 PM 0 comments

Arts Commission approves HC parking, finally

Tuesday, March 29, 2011




The Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) has finally given a go-ahead to an under-construction multi-level underground parking being built opposite the Delhi high court. This after sending back the proposal several times in 2010. Earlier, the court had asked the DUAC to find a solution "as if the plans have to be sanctioned on a barren virgin land" and directed a joint meeting of all the agencies concerned for the project.

The project-that involves constructing the parking lot and an underpass connecting it with the court across the road-had faced hurdles since work began in October 2009.

The DUAC had rejected the proposal time and again owing to the presence of an unknown tomb, a Mughal era heritage structure. Moreover, the project proponent had failed to follow the procedure.   

Earlier, the NDMC had slapped a stop-work notice on the construction, despite which work went ahead in full steam.

Said Anant Athle, NDMC's chief architect, "We had asked them to stop work as the proposal had not been cleared by the DUAC."

KT Ravindran, DUAC chairperson, clarified, "There is a particular pro-forma which the local body is supposed to fill. For the meeting held in March, the NDMC submitted a duly signed pro-forma, which signified that it had checked issues related to bye-laws."

"The (status of the) heritage structure was one of the issues. The ASI has been asked to restore the tomb. Then, there were design issues. The project proponents have now complied with all our suggestions. Hence the clearance," Ravindran added.

The project proponents have also been able to garner approvals from every single authority involved, including the Central Vista Committee, Forest department, traffic police and DDA.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 6:50 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 20, 2011

DTC cracks down on staff for reckless driving

Friday, March 18, 2011




With DTC buses, including the recently introduced low-floor ones, embarking on a 'killing spree', the transport corporation has in the past two weeks sacked nearly 200 of its drivers. Delhi traffic police said as many as 17 people were killed by DTC buses this year till March 15. Last year, five people were crushed to death by these buses during the same period.

The Hindustan Times on February 27 had reported how in the absence of Blueline buses (notoriously known as killerlines), DTC buses have started crushing lives under their wheels.

The increase in the number of fatal accidents involving DTC buses forced the corporation to identify shortcomings in driving abilities among its drivers. Accordingly, Delhi Transport Corporation had initiated a skill test drive for its newly appointed drivers on February 26.

"We have sacked nearly 200 DTC drivers who were appointed on contract. They, despite having valid driving licences, do not have adequate skills to drive on city roads safely," said a senior DTC officer on condition of anonymity.

According to him the harsh step had to be taken to save DTC's image from being tarnished.

The corporation, which was facing acute shortage of drivers, had appointed about 5,000 drivers on contract before Commonwealth Games to run its fleet of 6,400 buses.

Nearly 50% of these are low-floor buses. The appointments, according to DTC officials, were made based on valid driving licences of the drivers and not on their practical experience of driving, said sources.

"We have issued more than thousand challans to DTC drivers till February 15 as compared to only 274 during the same period last year. More than 500 drivers have already been prosecuted for around 1,000 cases of traffic norm violations. They were prosecuted for all kinds of violations, including rash driving, red light jumping, tempering speed governors etc," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 12:31 PM 0 comments

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Delhi reverses trend on road fatalities

Thursday, March 17, 2011




Contrary to the international trend, Delhi has managed to control the road fatalities during the last two years. According to a World Health Organization report, road fatality is on a constant rise in all developing countries of the world, but casualties in Delhi, which has more vehicles than the combined total of vehicles in the remaining three metro cities, have come down by 25 per cent since 2009. According to Delhi Traffic Police, strict enforcement against drunken driving and heavy commercial vehicles have contributed significantly in reducing road fatalities in the national Capital.

According to the WHO report, road fatality rate in developing countries was 13.3 persons per lakh population in the year 2000 which has been estimated to go up to 19 persons per lakh population by 2020. On the other hand, the fatality rate in developed world during the same period will decline from 11.8 to 7.8. The report says over 75 per cent of the total casualties occur in developing and transition countries. However, the records of Delhi Traffic Police suggest that the fatalities in Delhi declined by nearly 10 per cent in 2010 from 2009 and further by nearly 15 per cent till February this year as compared to the same period last year. This collectively has resulted in decline of nearly 25 per cent in the last two years.

Delhi had recorded 2,325 deaths in 2009 that came down to 2104 in 2010. A comparison of road deaths till February shows that the figure has come down 372 in 2009 to 337 in 2010 and further to 291 in 2011. The traffic police attribute the decline in fatalities to sustained prosecution of commercial vehicles and drunken driving during the recent times. According to Delhi Traffic Police, during the last 10 years only four years - 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 - have recorded less than 2,000 fatalities. The minimum was reported in the year 2002 with only 1,696 deaths. However, the traffic police is hopeful of bringing the number of deaths below 2,000 this year.

"Among all Indian cities, Delhi records the maximum number of deaths on roads. The number of vehicles in Delhi is more than the total number of vehicles in the three metro cities, yet strict prosecution has brought down road fatalities in all segments," said Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic). He said special emphasis is being laid to ensure safety on city roads through sustained prosecution against drunken driving and violations by commercial vehicles. "In cooperation with courts, the drunk drivers are sent to jail and their licences are being suspended. This year, 421 driving licences have been suspended and 490 drivers have been awarded jail terms for drunken driving. Strict action was also taken against errant school van drivers who have been found overloading children in vans," Garg added.

The data shows 46 deaths were caused by heavy commercial vehicles till February 2010 which has reduced to 41 this year. Similarly, fatalities caused by tractors this year are only 2 as against 10 deaths last year. However, the fatalities involving DTC buses have increased this year with 16 deaths as compared to 6 last year. There have also been lesser casualties involving private cars this year. The figure rests at 41 as against 54 in 2010. "While the heavy commercial vehicles are being booked and impounded for violation of Supreme Court guidelines, a majority of private cars involved in road fatalities are due to drunken driving which is coming down," the Joint Commissioner maintained. 


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 8:23 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Drink driving on Holi will land you in jail

Wednesday, March 16, 2011




Avoid alcohol if you are planning to drive back from a party this Sunday. For, drink driving on Holi day can land you in jail. What's more, the Delhi traffic police authorities have also decided to suspend driving licences of people booked for drink driving for at least six months.  "This time, driving in drunken condition would not be settled for Rs 2,000. Violators will face a jail term," warned Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic). The police have a tough day controlling motorists on Holi when there is usually a two-to-three-fold increase in the number of fatal accidents.

Last year, 15 people were killed in road accidents on Holi against the daily average of five fatalities. "We want this mortality rate to drop this year," said Garg.

In cases of drink driving, it is the court that decides the jail term. It can be for a day or up to even two weeks. There is a provision of imprisoning drunk drivers under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, under which the court has already sent over 400 people to jail since August 2010.

The entire traffic police force of 5,000 men will be on the road on Sunday. Of them, about 400 men with breatalysers will check and punish drink drivers.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 1:05 PM 0 comments

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Deadline crossed but work still on

Saturday, March 12, 2011




The clock stopped ticking last October but many flagship projects of NDMC undertaken for the Commonwealth Games are still awaiting completion. The civic body has now assured that the work on Shivaji Stadium, which was supposed to be a venue for hockey, will be completed by June this year. And the new deadline for the completion of long-awaited multi-level parking lots at Sarojini Nagar and Baba Kharak Singh Marg is end-June.

Though the CP Redevelopment project was conceptualized in time for the Games, NDMC chairperson Parimal Rai on Friday insisted that it was never a Games-related project. Now the construction of the ambitious service corridor in CP is likely to be over by March next year while four new subways may be ready in the forthcoming financial year.

"We have failed in the Shivaji Stadium project due to various reasons. There was a stay by the high court on removal of a shop due to which we could not build the water tank. Now the play area is ready and only the work on the underground parking is left to be completed," said Parimal Rai after releasing the annual budget of NDMC on Friday.

The deadline for the stadium had been getting extended every few months. Once the Games got over, the civic body targeted March as the possible deadline for the project. The Central Vigilance Commission had also found some discrepancies in the cost of the project. Now once it is ready, NDMC will allow parking by office-goers and people visiting CP in the stadium parking lot.

The plan for building multilevel parking lots at Sarojini Nagar, BKS Marg and Kasturba Gandhi Marg, which are essential to ease the worsening parking woes in these areas, was floated in 2007. The estimated duration of the project was 30 months. But there is no progress in regard to the parking lot at KG Marg and it will be at least three months before the other two get functional.

Rai also insisted that CP had been given a facelift for Games though otherwise it was "never a Games project". He said the facade restoration was done before the Games and service corridor upgrade was now being taken up. He said, "It was a three-year-long project but JNNURM approved it only in 2008. The project should be completed by April 2012."

With CBI raiding the premises of NDMC officials on Thursday in connection with alleged irregularities in renovation of Shivaji Stadium and Talkatora Stadium, the civic body officials said it has already initiated penal proceedings against some of its employees. "The CBI has not given any formal intimation to us. It appears that the issues were the same on which we had started major penalty proceedings," Rai said.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 2:17 PM 0 comments

New Motor Vehicles Act: Stricter penalties for speeding, drunken

Friday, March 11, 2011




For the first time, the government has decided to introduce strict penalties, including imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh on car manufacturers for faulty vehicle systems. A new provision would be included in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 that would make car manufacturers liable for penalty in case of faults.

The penalty would be a fine of Rs 1 lakh or imprisonment of up to three months or both. In case a consumer finds manufacturing faults with the brake system or engine or any other part, he would now be able to lodge a complaint with the state transport authority. The authority would get experts to investigate the fault and then recommend action. The provision , which will be included as Section 182 A in the Motor Vehicle Act, has been included after a spate of complaints from consumers and recent instances of car recall by manufacturers.

The new provision is one of the 30-odd amendments that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to introduce in the twodecade old Motor Vehicle Act. One of the major amendments is enhancing penalties for speeding, drunken driving and using mobile phones while driving. At present speeding carries a fine of Rs 400. The government has decided to introduce a graded system of penalty by imposing Rs 1,000 fine if the speed exceeds the permissible limit up to 10 km per hour and Rs 2,000 if it exceeds 10 km per hour up to 25 km per hour and Rs 5,000 if it exceeds by 25 km per hour. Even if you ask your driver to speed, a similar penalty will apply to you.

For the first time, mobile phone and other devices will be clearly defined under the law and new provisions would be introduced for using them while driving. So far, the Traffic Police uses a provision which carries a paltry Rs 100 fine for use of mobile phones or not wearing seat belts. Now these would be introduced in the Act. The Government has decided to enhance penalty for violation of traffic signals, using mobile phones while driving and not wearing seat belts or helmet to Rs 1,000.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 2:17 PM 0 comments

Friday, March 11, 2011

Khan Market readies plan for multi-level parking lot

Thursday, March 10, 2011




After numerous complaints of congestion and the lack of parking space in Khan Market area, the Urban Development Ministry has asked the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to prepare a proposal for a multi-level parking lot.

For some time now, the Khan Market Traders' Association had been asking the Land and Development Office (L&DO) and the NDMC to collaborate and provide the area with a much-needed parking area.

"We have finally received an intimation from the Urban Development Ministry to prepare a detailed proposal for the project," said a senior NDMC official. According to the NDMC, they have started working on the proposal and will send it to the L&DO for consideration.

Khan Market traders and the NDMC have identified a spot near Bible Bhavan, which belongs to the Urban Development Ministry, for construction of a parking lot. The NDMC has also written a letter to the Ministry asking them for possession of the land.

The parking problem in Khan Market has increased manifold over the years, with 74 residential flats in the market converted to restaurants and other commercial establishments apart from the already existing 150 shops.

Taking cognizance of the situation, the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) had recently directed the NDMC to charge a parking fee from visitors, which is currently a free facility. According to the EPCA, imposing parking charges will help ease congestion in the area.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 3:13 AM 0 comments

After two months delay, NDMC to begin work on CP service tunnel

Wednesday, March 09, 2011




After a delay of two months, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will soon start digging up the radial roads of Connaught Place to construct an underground service tunnel that can accommodate all the overhead cables.

Though the digging was to commence in January, it got delayed by two months due to an initial failure to gain permission for heavy tunnel boring machines in the area. However, the Delhi Traffic Police has now granted permission for six tunnel boring machines and 22 trucks for transporting dug-up soil, an NDMC official said. Work is expected to begin by next week.

Once the tunnel is ready, all the electricity cables, sewerage lines, wires and cables will be shifted into it. Work on constructing the tunnel, including joining it with all the blocks, will be completed in 240 days, an official said.

"We will start work in a matter of days. We have received permission for trucks to lift soil dug out during the work. These trucks are necessary to transport the soil to dumping grounds," said Anand Tiwari, NDMC spokesperson.

Joining the tunnels will require a lot of digging, and it may disrupt traffic. Hence, the Traffic Police has been asked to come up with an advisory before the work begins.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 3:12 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Tinted glasses: police vehicles under scanner

Tuesday, March 08, 2011




Continuing with their drive against tinted glasses, the Delhi traffic police on Monday went a step further and challaned police vehicles for flouting norms. Two police vehicles — both parked in police headquarters premises — have been challaned and issued notices to remove the dark films within 72 hours.

Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic), said: "We have challanned both the vehicles and also issued notices to them. We will also keep a strict vigil on private vehicles owned by police officers and will not spare any violators." In the next phase, he said, government vehicles will also be targeted.

Failing to stop motorists from using tinted glasses by just slapping penalties, traffic police resorted to impounding important travel documents to ensure that everyone follows the norm.

Under the drive, defaulters are not just fined but issued a notice to remove the tinted glasses. The police also impound driving licence and registration papers, which are later returned to the owner only when the vehicle with "correction" is taken to the area's traffic office within 72 hours.

"In a span of five days, we have issued challans to as many as 2,077 vehicles of which 1,356 were found to be fitted with tinted glasses. Of them, drivers/ owners of 573 vehicles removed the dark films on the spot, while 1,050 were issued notices. A total of 714 vehicles were found with defective number plates and seven fitted with pressure horns. They too were issued challans," said Garg.

Meanwhile, the traffic police have also started prosecuting police vehicles that used Delhi police logo or DP symbol in the registration number plates of their vehicles and slapped them with a fine of R2,000 for violation of registration certificate under Section 39 of the Motor Vehicles Act.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 12:46 AM 0 comments

Parking restrictions during India-Holland match

Monday, March 07, 2011




No parking will be allowed on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg and Jawaharlal Nehru Marg during the India-Holland World Cup cricket match Wednesday at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium, police said Monday.

'There is very limited parking for labelled vehicles in the proximity of the stadium and no parking for general vehicles there,' Joint Commissioner of Police for traffic Satyendra Garg said.

Park-and-ride facility has been created at Mata Sundari Parking and Shanti Van Parking, he added.

The Delhi Traffic Police have asked cricket fans coming in their vehicles to reach these sites and walk down to the stadium.

Those holding car parking labels have been advised to take Ring Road, JLN Marg, Asaf Ali Road or Bahadurshah Zafar Marg. A U-turn at Delhi Gate has also been allowed.

No diversion has been planned for Bahadurshah Zafar Marg or Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, he said.

'However, the public is advised to avoid roads connecting to Ferozshah Kotla roads from 12:00 noon to 3:30 p.m and 09:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m, Garg said.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 12:37 AM 0 comments

Now pay and park at Khan Market

Saturday, March 05, 2011




Shopping at those swanky outlets in Khan Market may now come with the rider of a parking fee. Visitors will have to pay on an hourly basis to park their cars from April 1. New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has been asked by the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee to take over the management of the parking space from the traders' association. Though the rates have not been fixed yet, sources in the NDMC said that initially it is going to be equivalent to the charges prevalent in other markets, for example Connaught Place. For the past 25 years, parking inside the market was managed by the trader's association and it was 'free' for both shopkeepers and visitors. 

"A meeting was convened by the monitoring committee on Saturday to discuss the parking problem at Khan Market and it was recommended that the NDMC should take it over and make it an authorized parking,'' said Santosh D Vaidya, secretary, NDMC. "We are waiting for the final order by the committee, which is going to meet again on March 15. After that tenders will be floated for managing this parking space along with 53 other parking areas under us in New Delhi area. This will be the 54th authorized parking." Vaidya said the final plan is to create a multi-level parking like the one being developed at Baba Kharak Singh Marg in Connaught Place and Sarojini Nagar. "We have already written to the ministry of urban development for allotment of space on Amrita Shergill Marg," he added. 

Bhure Lal, a member of the SC-appointed committee who chaired the meeting, added that once the multi-level parking was created nearby, no parking will be allowed inside Khan Market. "The parking space, which the traders claim to be managing for free, was originally a park. We want it to be restored," he said. 

According to Lal, visitors do not get to park right now as most of the space is occupied by cars of the shopkeepers themselves. "Visitors have to pay extra money, sometimes Rs 20 per hour, to park their vehicles. Originally, the market had shops on the ground floor and residences on the first floor. But since conversion has been allowed, all the residences have been turned into restaurants and pubs. There is no space for pedestrians to walk and even a bomb scare can lead to a big tragedy in the area. Fire tenders cannot go in. We have asked the traders' association and civic agencies to come up with a presentation on how they are going to deal with these problems on March 15, after which a final decision will be taken," said Lal. The committee has also asked NDMC to do away with the old and obsolete government-owned cars lying at the parking space inside Lok Nayak Bhavan and put a check on government officials parking their vehicles on the main road. 

The traders are, however, miffed over the imposition of parking charges. "We have been managing the parking here for 25 years and people are allowed to park for free. Imposition of charges as high as Rs 10-20 per hour will affect local people who come here to fulfill their daily needs," said a trader. 

At any given point of time, it takes 15 minutes to enter Khan Market due to the serious parking crunch in the area. Khan Market traders claim that the parking problems have increased manifold over the years with no parking available at the nearby Metro station. The Lok Nayak Bhavan basement parking has been shut down. There are about 300 shops in the market and the footfall can be imagined. 


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 12:37 AM 0 comments

Soon, Chandni Chowk to be no-entry for cars

Friday, March 04, 2011




The chaotic traffic situation at Chandni Chowk is soon going to be a thing of the past. Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor Tejinder Khanna has given the green light to Municipal Corporation of Delhi's ambitious Chandni Chowk redevelopment project on Friday. The civic agency plans to start work on the project by the end of March. As per the plan, the entry of motor vehicles will be not allowed inside Chandni Chowk during the daytime.

Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre ( UTTIPEC), a DDA-constituted body which looks at all transportation projects and transport engineering solutions in Delhi, experts had approved the project last week during a site inspection. "The L-G has given his approval to the project. The decision was taken in a meeting today. Our plan is in place and we just have to hold a meeting with residents of Chandni Chowk to discuss the plan. This will help us in decongesting this area which has historical significance,'' said Deep Mathur, director, press and information, MCD.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 12:37 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Parking lot: HC to meet all agencies to reach solution

Wednesday, March 02, 2011


The Delhi high court has asked the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) to conduct a joint meeting of all civic agencies concerned on March 9 for an under-construction multilevel parking project for it and find a solution "as if the plans have to be sanctioned on a barren virgin land". The parking project at the Sher Shah Suri Marg opposite the high court premises had run into hurdles since work began in October 2009 due to a Mughal-era heritage structure in it the premises. Despite objections by NDMC, construction has continued in full zest. DUAC secretary Navneet Kumar confirmed, "We have received a copy of the High Court directives. But as our chairperson is out of Delhi, we cannot comment on the actual meeting." 

The 15-century unnamed tomb of the Sher Shah Suri era is a notified heritage structure. It means, any project in connection with this structure needs to be referred to the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC), and not to mention, the DUAC, which had rejected proposals for the parking project and an underpass joining the site and the high court premises on December 12, 2010.

In continuation of the high court's February 14 order on the augmentation of infrastructure to meet the increase in the court's manpower, Justice Pradip Nandrajog on February 23 had ordered for the meeting of all agencies concerned on March 9.

The February 23 order had taken cognisance of the DUAC's reservations to the continued construction activity and had directed, "The said issue would not be deliberated upon and the issue of sanction of plans would be taken up with reference to the concerned bye-laws, rules and regulations applicable as if the plans have to be sanctioned on a barren virgin land."

Noting that finalisation of the project required approval of seven authorities, which needed "to sit together at one time at one place and at one drawing board", the court directed the NDMC, ASI, DDA, PWD, Central Vista Committee, Airports Authority of India and chief forest officer of Delhi to attend the meeting.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 12:14 AM 0 comments

To go after illegal parking mafia, municipal body turns to police

Wednesday, March 02, 2011


With the illegal parking mafia gaining control over more than half the parking sites in Delhi, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has decided to take the help of the Delhi Police Crime Branch to tackle the situation. Standing Committee Chairman Yogender Chandolia said he has already met the Police Commissioner to discuss matters relating to illegal parking. Chandolia said the MCD, with the help of Delhi Traffic Police, had already met with some degree of success while trying to improve the parking situation in the Capital last year.

The number of authorised parking sites has been increased from 116 to 295.

"We are trying to identify more parking sites in the city. We are also trying to convert illegal parking sites into authorised parking sites. If the sites pose a problem, we will remove them altogether," he said at the Standing Committee meeting of the MCD on Tuesday.

Municipal councillors and zonal deputy commissioners have been requested to identify potential parking sites in their jurisdiction. The MCD will, in turn, take up the matter with the Traffic Police for giving a no-objection certificate to sites that are fit to be converted into parking lots.

The MCD has also posted Directorate of Enforcement personnel at various parking sites. Chandolia also issued a warning stating that contractors who fleece the public by charging them more will face punitive action.

Stating that the contracts of violators will be cancelled, he said, "There are many rules being broken in the area of parking, and the MCD needs the help of the police to rectify them."

The MCD will hand over breach-of-violation cases to the Crime Branch, Chandolia said.


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 12:14 AM 0 comments

Tinted glass violators won’t get away easily now

Wednesday, March 02, 2011


Despite numerous drives launched by the traffic police, cars with tinted glass can be regularly spotted on the roads of the capital. The fine of Rs 100 is hardly a deterrent. This poses a serious challenge to law and order - nothing is visible inside. Not surprisingly, in many major crimes, particularly against women, such cars have proved to be quite handy. 

The traffic police, however, is promising to give the violators a very tough time. It's launching a drive on Thursday against tinted glass and car owners not sticking to the percentage of tint that's allowed will have to hand in either their registration certificate or their driving licence along with the usual Rs 100 challan slapped on defaulters. "A notice will be issued to them by the traffic personnel and the defaulter will have to report to the area traffic inspector where the violation was recorded within 72 hours for inspection of their vehicle. If the directions are not followed, the matter will be forwarded to the court," explained joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyendra Garg. At present, there should be at least 70% transparency in the front and rear windows and 50% transparency on the side windows. 

The same directive will also apply to those using vehicles with defective numberplates and pressure horns, said the cops. "Usually, since the fine is just a meagre Rs 100, which is nothing compared to the money spent on films (ranging from Rs 700 to Rs 14,000 for the more fancy ones that protect from UV rays), it is not enough of a deterrent. We hope that the stricter action will make the defaulters mindful of the rules," said a senior traffic officer. 

In the first six weeks of the year, 20,000 vehicles were booked for tinted glass, significantly more than the 1500-odd such prosecutions last year during the same period. "Significantly, a major of these were repeat offenders, showing that despite being caught, Delhiites are mostly unmindful of the rules," said a senior traffic officer. 

The "Rules of Road Regulations, 1989", framed by the central government under section 118 of the Motor Vehicle act states that, "a driver of a motor vehicle and every other person using the road shall obey every direction given, whether by signal or otherwise, by a police officer or any authorized person for the time being in charge of the regulation of traffic." Under the rule, even a traffic constable has the power to issue the notice to the defaulter, claimed traffic cops. 

Tinted glass in vehicles have been a major source of concern for women's security as well as criminal activities. Delhi Police had earlier sent a proposal to the Union home ministry to amend the Motor Vehicle Act for enhancing fines on use of tinted glass. While Delhi Traffic Police is currently in the process of acquiring machines to test the percentage of tint, they claim that defaulters usually are aware that they were not following the regulations. "Usually, we can easily tell if the thickness of the glass is more than the permissible limit. However, if anyone contests the claim, we will send the matter to court. However, the prosecutions that have taken place this year have not been contested by the vehicle owners," said a senior traffic officer. 

Tinted glasses have been known to be used by several criminals especially during rape and murder. Whether it was the murder case of IT executive Jigeesha or the infamous Dhaula Kuan and Mayapuri rape incidents, cars with tinted glass have been brazenly used. 


Posted by Rajeev Lochan Sharma at 12:13 AM 0 comments
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