Sunday, 11 July, 2010
You may soon find cycle rickshaws being challaned for violating traffic rules and rickshaw pullers applying for special drivers' license to ply a cycle rickshaw on Delhi roads. The Delhi government may soon introduce a new law that will legalise the existence of thousands of cycle rickshaws, enforce traffic rules and help discipline them.
According to senior Delhi government officials, a special committee comprising members from a Delhi High Court-appointed task force on traffic has been formed to prepare the draft of a new legislation on cycle rickshaws.
The new act, said officials, would make registration and training of rickshaw pullers mandatory and would also enforce traffic rules on cycle rickshaws.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner KS Mehra and Madhu Kishwar, who runs a non-government organisation (NGO) are the committee members working on the legislation.
Officials said the government might nominate more experts in the committee to help them out.
Being non-motorised vehicles, cycle rickshaws are not covered under the Motor Vehicles Act.
No traffic rules that bind scooters, cars, buses and other such vehicles are applicable on cycle rickshaws, thus giving them a free run on Delhi's congested roads.
"With a growing number of cycle rickshaws in the Capital, we feel there is an urgent need to have a law that regulates these vehicles," a senior Delhi government official said.
According to estimates, more than 10 lakh cycle rickshaws ply across the Capital.
"The new law will make it mandatory to have dedicated lanes for non-motorised vehicles on as many roads as possible. Our existing approach is heavily biased towards car owners," the official said.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Govt-mulls-new-traffic-law-for-cycle-rickshaws/Article1-570884.aspx
Monday, July 12, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Fall in fatal accidents on Delhi roads
Friday, 09 July, 2010
Traffic officials attribute the sharp decrease in fatalities to an increased presence of officials manning traffic and the changing emphasis from prosecution to regulation. "The number of fatal accidents on Delhi roads, which was seeing an alarming upward trend in the last eight years, has been contained this year with a sharp shift in emphasis from prosecution to regulation. The presence of traffic personnel on roads has been increased," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg told Newsline.
While the number of fatal accidents till June 30 last year was 1,106, this number has come down by 13.48 per cent to 957 fatal accidents. The number of casualties has also come down by 12.67 per cent, from 1,137 last year to 993 this year. Of the total number of accidents, there were 471 cases of hit-and-run in 2009, a number which came down to 345 this year.
The number of pedestrian casualties in 2009 was 538, which has come down to 435 this year. There were 342 casualties involving scooter or motorcycle-borne victims in 2009; the number decreased to 325 this year. While boarding and deboarding buses, 20 people were killed last year; the number has come down to 12 this year.
The total number of fatal accidents caused by commercial vehicles in 2009 was 408; the number came down to 389 this year. The figures with the traffic police indicate that Blueline buses caused 54 fatal accidents in 2009; the number has come down to 43 this year. DTC buses were responsible for 29 fatal accidents in 2009; and the number has come down to 18 this year. There is, however, an increase in fatal accidents caused by Heavy Transport Vehicles, with the number increasing from 117 last year to 126 this year.
There has been a general fall in the number of fatal accidents between 4 am and 9 pm. "The peak hour accidents have been prevented due to an increased presence of traffic officials manning traffic on all the intersections, leading to better regulation," Garg said.
However, in the time period between 9 pm and midnight the number of fatal accidents rose from 220 last year to 224 this year. Similarly, from midnight till 4 am there were 156 accidents this year, while there were just 149 accidents last year. Traffic officials attribute this increase in accidents during night time to a reduced availability of manpower during these hours.
While the number of accidents on Ring Road fell to 93 from 114 last year, Outer Ring Road saw 54 this year compared to five more last year.
Of the five traffic ranges in Delhi, all except the Southern Range — where there was no change in figures — saw a fall in the number of accidents. "South is the range which is seeing a lot of construction activity in preparation for the Games. We are trying to contain this too. Mehrauli has been a problem stretch, and we are trying to reduce fatalities there," a senior traffic official said.
The traffic police issued 17.22 lakh challans last year, amounting to Rs 25.78 crore. The number of challans issued this year fell to 13.77 lakh, amounting to Rs 24.83 crore.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fall-in-fatal-accidents-on-delhi-roads/644116/0
Traffic officials attribute the sharp decrease in fatalities to an increased presence of officials manning traffic and the changing emphasis from prosecution to regulation. "The number of fatal accidents on Delhi roads, which was seeing an alarming upward trend in the last eight years, has been contained this year with a sharp shift in emphasis from prosecution to regulation. The presence of traffic personnel on roads has been increased," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg told Newsline.
While the number of fatal accidents till June 30 last year was 1,106, this number has come down by 13.48 per cent to 957 fatal accidents. The number of casualties has also come down by 12.67 per cent, from 1,137 last year to 993 this year. Of the total number of accidents, there were 471 cases of hit-and-run in 2009, a number which came down to 345 this year.
The number of pedestrian casualties in 2009 was 538, which has come down to 435 this year. There were 342 casualties involving scooter or motorcycle-borne victims in 2009; the number decreased to 325 this year. While boarding and deboarding buses, 20 people were killed last year; the number has come down to 12 this year.
The total number of fatal accidents caused by commercial vehicles in 2009 was 408; the number came down to 389 this year. The figures with the traffic police indicate that Blueline buses caused 54 fatal accidents in 2009; the number has come down to 43 this year. DTC buses were responsible for 29 fatal accidents in 2009; and the number has come down to 18 this year. There is, however, an increase in fatal accidents caused by Heavy Transport Vehicles, with the number increasing from 117 last year to 126 this year.
There has been a general fall in the number of fatal accidents between 4 am and 9 pm. "The peak hour accidents have been prevented due to an increased presence of traffic officials manning traffic on all the intersections, leading to better regulation," Garg said.
However, in the time period between 9 pm and midnight the number of fatal accidents rose from 220 last year to 224 this year. Similarly, from midnight till 4 am there were 156 accidents this year, while there were just 149 accidents last year. Traffic officials attribute this increase in accidents during night time to a reduced availability of manpower during these hours.
While the number of accidents on Ring Road fell to 93 from 114 last year, Outer Ring Road saw 54 this year compared to five more last year.
Of the five traffic ranges in Delhi, all except the Southern Range — where there was no change in figures — saw a fall in the number of accidents. "South is the range which is seeing a lot of construction activity in preparation for the Games. We are trying to contain this too. Mehrauli has been a problem stretch, and we are trying to reduce fatalities there," a senior traffic official said.
The traffic police issued 17.22 lakh challans last year, amounting to Rs 25.78 crore. The number of challans issued this year fell to 13.77 lakh, amounting to Rs 24.83 crore.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fall-in-fatal-accidents-on-delhi-roads/644116/0
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Arterial roads sink in, civic bodies pass buck
Wednesday, 07 July, 2010
It is one of the busiest arterial roads in the city, where approximately 65,789 vehicles ply everyday. But on a day when South Delhi's Aurobindo Marg road caved in, throwing traffic out of gear, none of the civic agencies came forward to own responsibility. While commuters had a harrowing time finding
their way on this stretch, civic agencies responsible for carrying out the repair work were busy passing the buck. "We had handed over the road to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for carrying out construction activity. It is their responsibility to repair it now," said Prithvi Raj Sawhney, Delhi mayor.
While on Aurobindo Marg, the road caved in at various spots, another road in North Delhi's Shakti Nagar area caved in. However, MCD officials claimed that the road belongs to the Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi government.
"After the road caved in, both the carriageways were closed for vehicles as it would have affected repair work," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of Police, (traffic).
To repair Aurobindo Marg, the Delhi traffic police had barricaded the entire area and the both the carriageways from AIIMS to IIT were closed for vehicular movement. Out of the 2.5-km-long stretch, more than 300 meters on both sides of the carriageway was damaged due to showers.
"A four-feet-deep crater had developed on the road. The road has been constructed over a sewerage line and due to constant leakages, it road became soft and gave way," said a senior official. DMRC engineers who were present on the site were carrying out repair work.
"We have completed the construction work but as the road caved in, we were trying to help civic agencies in carrying out repair work," said a Delhi Metro Rail C spokesperson.
Waterlogging
Complaints of waterlogging were received from across the city, with the MCD receiving 102 complaints. Areas such as Dhaula Kuan, Naraina, ITO, IIT, Chirga Delhi flyover, Kalkaji Extension, Loni Road, Dwarka underpass, Bhogal, Ashram, Munirka, Ber Sarai, Mehrauli Gurgaon road, among others, were affected badly.
Traffic movement on all major roads connecting Gurgaon and Delhi, including the Gurgaon Expressway and M.G. Road came to a standstill and Gurgaon-bound commuters from Delhi and Faridabad took about four-five hours to reach the border. There was a five-km-long jam on the Expressway between the Toll Plaza and IFFCO Chowk and the same was the case on M.G. Road.
Flight delays
Heavy rains and stormy weather on Wednesday led to flight delays and diversions at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). Two flights had to be diverted to nearby airports due to strong tailwinds at the airport. Many evening flights also got delayed by one to three hours due to severe traffic congestion. The heavy rains and strong winds at 4.30 pm coincided with the peak hour traffic for domestic flights at the airport, leading to delays.
The IGI airport witnessed a dense cloud over the runways in the evening and IGI Met Department issued warnings about heavy rains.
Torrential rains reduced the visibility to around 1,500 metres at the airport, an airport weather official said.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Arterial-roads-sink-in-civic-bodies-pass-buck/Article1-568942.aspx
It is one of the busiest arterial roads in the city, where approximately 65,789 vehicles ply everyday. But on a day when South Delhi's Aurobindo Marg road caved in, throwing traffic out of gear, none of the civic agencies came forward to own responsibility. While commuters had a harrowing time finding
their way on this stretch, civic agencies responsible for carrying out the repair work were busy passing the buck. "We had handed over the road to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for carrying out construction activity. It is their responsibility to repair it now," said Prithvi Raj Sawhney, Delhi mayor.
While on Aurobindo Marg, the road caved in at various spots, another road in North Delhi's Shakti Nagar area caved in. However, MCD officials claimed that the road belongs to the Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi government.
"After the road caved in, both the carriageways were closed for vehicles as it would have affected repair work," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of Police, (traffic).
To repair Aurobindo Marg, the Delhi traffic police had barricaded the entire area and the both the carriageways from AIIMS to IIT were closed for vehicular movement. Out of the 2.5-km-long stretch, more than 300 meters on both sides of the carriageway was damaged due to showers.
"A four-feet-deep crater had developed on the road. The road has been constructed over a sewerage line and due to constant leakages, it road became soft and gave way," said a senior official. DMRC engineers who were present on the site were carrying out repair work.
"We have completed the construction work but as the road caved in, we were trying to help civic agencies in carrying out repair work," said a Delhi Metro Rail C spokesperson.
Waterlogging
Complaints of waterlogging were received from across the city, with the MCD receiving 102 complaints. Areas such as Dhaula Kuan, Naraina, ITO, IIT, Chirga Delhi flyover, Kalkaji Extension, Loni Road, Dwarka underpass, Bhogal, Ashram, Munirka, Ber Sarai, Mehrauli Gurgaon road, among others, were affected badly.
Traffic movement on all major roads connecting Gurgaon and Delhi, including the Gurgaon Expressway and M.G. Road came to a standstill and Gurgaon-bound commuters from Delhi and Faridabad took about four-five hours to reach the border. There was a five-km-long jam on the Expressway between the Toll Plaza and IFFCO Chowk and the same was the case on M.G. Road.
Flight delays
Heavy rains and stormy weather on Wednesday led to flight delays and diversions at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). Two flights had to be diverted to nearby airports due to strong tailwinds at the airport. Many evening flights also got delayed by one to three hours due to severe traffic congestion. The heavy rains and strong winds at 4.30 pm coincided with the peak hour traffic for domestic flights at the airport, leading to delays.
The IGI airport witnessed a dense cloud over the runways in the evening and IGI Met Department issued warnings about heavy rains.
Torrential rains reduced the visibility to around 1,500 metres at the airport, an airport weather official said.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Arterial-roads-sink-in-civic-bodies-pass-buck/Article1-568942.aspx
Sunday, July 4, 2010
After new terminal, Delhi airport to have multi-level parking
Sunday, 04 July, 2010
Driving to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi and worried about finding parking space? Not any more. Come July 16 and the new Terminal-3 (T3) will boast of the largest multi-level car parking (MLCP) facility in the country, with a capacity of 4,300 cars.
"For an infrastructure facility like an airport, a good parking facility becomes imperative for smooth traffic flow and a significant criterion for determining passenger comfort," an official of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said on the condition of anonymity.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday inaugurated the glitzy new T3 terminal at the IGI Airport, stated to be the sixth largest and among the most modern in the world, built in record 37 months at a cost of nearly $3 billion.
The actual operations will however start only on July 16, well in time for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the capital in October.
"The combined parking facility at both the domestic and international terminal is around 2,000. MLCP is important because T3 will handle both international and domestic operations," the DIAL official said.
MLCP has been described as an effective space management system for solving parking woes all over the world. It can be described as a parking building, with multiple floors to park on, thus saving space and time for parking.
"At T3, the multi-level car parking will be ground plus a five-floor structure. With seven levels, the terrace will also be used for parking," the official added.
The ground floor of MLCP will be 19,263 sq metres and the other floors above will be 19,155 sq metres each.
"The parking structure will be well connected to the T3 building through a corridor at ground level and through an air-conditioned elevated sky walk with travelators," the official added.
MLCP will have four entry and exit gates at the ground floor, while the upper floors of the parking facility will have two entry and exit lanes.
For faster traffic movement, MLCP will employ both electronic and static signages to guide the drivers to reach a vacant parking spot on the closest parking level.
"This will be supported by an electronic system called the Space Availability Display System (SADS)," the official added.
The maximum time from the entry to a parking bay and from there to the exit point is expected to be approximately five minutes.
According to DIAL, the entry into MLCP will be based on a semi-automatic ticketing system. Parking tickets will be dispensed through the automatic dispensers before entry and payments shall be taken through cash and credit cards.
Another integrated system called the Airport Parking Payment System (APPS), will support the payments and calculation of usage time for parking.
"The parking facilities will also feature Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV), Public Address (PA) system and live Flight Information Display System (FIDS)," the official said.
T3 will also include 78 aerobridges, 63 elevators, 35 escalators, 168 check-in counters, 95 immigration counters, and a high speed metro rail link to the city centre.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/After-new-terminal-Delhi-airport-to-have-multi-level-parking/Article1-567265.aspx
Driving to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi and worried about finding parking space? Not any more. Come July 16 and the new Terminal-3 (T3) will boast of the largest multi-level car parking (MLCP) facility in the country, with a capacity of 4,300 cars.
"For an infrastructure facility like an airport, a good parking facility becomes imperative for smooth traffic flow and a significant criterion for determining passenger comfort," an official of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said on the condition of anonymity.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday inaugurated the glitzy new T3 terminal at the IGI Airport, stated to be the sixth largest and among the most modern in the world, built in record 37 months at a cost of nearly $3 billion.
The actual operations will however start only on July 16, well in time for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the capital in October.
"The combined parking facility at both the domestic and international terminal is around 2,000. MLCP is important because T3 will handle both international and domestic operations," the DIAL official said.
MLCP has been described as an effective space management system for solving parking woes all over the world. It can be described as a parking building, with multiple floors to park on, thus saving space and time for parking.
"At T3, the multi-level car parking will be ground plus a five-floor structure. With seven levels, the terrace will also be used for parking," the official added.
The ground floor of MLCP will be 19,263 sq metres and the other floors above will be 19,155 sq metres each.
"The parking structure will be well connected to the T3 building through a corridor at ground level and through an air-conditioned elevated sky walk with travelators," the official added.
MLCP will have four entry and exit gates at the ground floor, while the upper floors of the parking facility will have two entry and exit lanes.
For faster traffic movement, MLCP will employ both electronic and static signages to guide the drivers to reach a vacant parking spot on the closest parking level.
"This will be supported by an electronic system called the Space Availability Display System (SADS)," the official added.
The maximum time from the entry to a parking bay and from there to the exit point is expected to be approximately five minutes.
According to DIAL, the entry into MLCP will be based on a semi-automatic ticketing system. Parking tickets will be dispensed through the automatic dispensers before entry and payments shall be taken through cash and credit cards.
Another integrated system called the Airport Parking Payment System (APPS), will support the payments and calculation of usage time for parking.
"The parking facilities will also feature Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV), Public Address (PA) system and live Flight Information Display System (FIDS)," the official said.
T3 will also include 78 aerobridges, 63 elevators, 35 escalators, 168 check-in counters, 95 immigration counters, and a high speed metro rail link to the city centre.
Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/After-new-terminal-Delhi-airport-to-have-multi-level-parking/Article1-567265.aspx
Friday, July 2, 2010
As traffic cops crack the whip, auto drivers try to play decent
Friday, 02 July, 2010
Delhi's auto-rickshaw drivers, infamous or their rude behaviour and penchant for overcharging, seems to be quickly mending their ways with the Traffic Police cracking down on those not sticking to the revised auto fares.
Thanks to the ongoing vigilance drive, which has at least 340 traffic police personnel on the roads to tame auto drivers, the commuter has emerged an unlikely winner despite the increased burden on their pocket due to the fare hike. Since Monday, the auto drivers have been more than willing to actually go where asked to, even short distances, and that too with the meter on. Arbitrary charges and the resultant haggling seems to be passe, at least for now.
Over the last three days, violators have been fined by the traffic police. On Wednesday, 126 autos were impounded and at least 1,620 challans were issued for violating permit conditions.
"I am surprised, I didn't have to haggle with the auto-wallah for going to office today. Even the wait to scout for one wasn't too long. The first auto that came my way stopped and, without any argument, turned the meter on. I was surprised as I am used to my daily battle with the auto driver," said Jyotsna Krishnan, who has to take an auto from RK Puram to go to her office on Barakhamba Road every day.
"At least 1,620 autos were challaned on Wednesday and the figure was close to 1,400 on Tuesday. At least 126 were impounded on Wednesday and 122 on Tuesday. In several cases we are prosecuting auto drivers for violating their permit conditions. According to the permit, they cannot refuse a passenger to travel any distance, long or short," Joint Commissioner of Police Satyendra Garg told Newsline.
The traffic police had earlier maintained it was difficult to tame the errant auto drivers as some of their grievances vis-a-vis a hike in the price of CNG were genuine. "But now their fares have been increased and drivers have to follow the conditions of their permit," Garg said.
"We will be very tough for the first three to four days. We will relax the drive a bit to watch the behaviour of auto drivers in the coming days. A lot of manpower has been concentrated on this drive. We will conduct this drive on certain days every week," Garg said.
The Delhi Traffic Police has also deployed special teams at points infamous for the presence of touts like railway stations, ISBTs and the IGI Airport.
Police strategy
The traffic Police has formed two teams each for Delhi's 40 traffic circles. One of the two teams has a female personnel who acts as a decoy passenger wanting to go a short distance. If refused, the driver is challaned then and there. The other team, comprising at least four personnel, stops autos randomly and ask the passenger if the driver is charging by the meter. The driver's licence is checked and he is allowed to go only if everything is in order.
Original news source http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/as-traffic-cops-crack-the-whip-auto-drivers-try-to-play-decent/641142/
Delhi's auto-rickshaw drivers, infamous or their rude behaviour and penchant for overcharging, seems to be quickly mending their ways with the Traffic Police cracking down on those not sticking to the revised auto fares.
Thanks to the ongoing vigilance drive, which has at least 340 traffic police personnel on the roads to tame auto drivers, the commuter has emerged an unlikely winner despite the increased burden on their pocket due to the fare hike. Since Monday, the auto drivers have been more than willing to actually go where asked to, even short distances, and that too with the meter on. Arbitrary charges and the resultant haggling seems to be passe, at least for now.
Over the last three days, violators have been fined by the traffic police. On Wednesday, 126 autos were impounded and at least 1,620 challans were issued for violating permit conditions.
"I am surprised, I didn't have to haggle with the auto-wallah for going to office today. Even the wait to scout for one wasn't too long. The first auto that came my way stopped and, without any argument, turned the meter on. I was surprised as I am used to my daily battle with the auto driver," said Jyotsna Krishnan, who has to take an auto from RK Puram to go to her office on Barakhamba Road every day.
"At least 1,620 autos were challaned on Wednesday and the figure was close to 1,400 on Tuesday. At least 126 were impounded on Wednesday and 122 on Tuesday. In several cases we are prosecuting auto drivers for violating their permit conditions. According to the permit, they cannot refuse a passenger to travel any distance, long or short," Joint Commissioner of Police Satyendra Garg told Newsline.
The traffic police had earlier maintained it was difficult to tame the errant auto drivers as some of their grievances vis-a-vis a hike in the price of CNG were genuine. "But now their fares have been increased and drivers have to follow the conditions of their permit," Garg said.
"We will be very tough for the first three to four days. We will relax the drive a bit to watch the behaviour of auto drivers in the coming days. A lot of manpower has been concentrated on this drive. We will conduct this drive on certain days every week," Garg said.
The Delhi Traffic Police has also deployed special teams at points infamous for the presence of touts like railway stations, ISBTs and the IGI Airport.
Police strategy
The traffic Police has formed two teams each for Delhi's 40 traffic circles. One of the two teams has a female personnel who acts as a decoy passenger wanting to go a short distance. If refused, the driver is challaned then and there. The other team, comprising at least four personnel, stops autos randomly and ask the passenger if the driver is charging by the meter. The driver's licence is checked and he is allowed to go only if everything is in order.
Original news source http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/as-traffic-cops-crack-the-whip-auto-drivers-try-to-play-decent/641142/
New Delhi Among Cities With Worst Traffic Conditions
Thursday, 01 July, 2010
New Delhi, the capital of India, has been adjudged among the worst cities as far as adverse traffic conditions are concerned. Ranked 5th among 20 cities from the world over, Delhi's traffic system was termed as having gone worse in the past few years, with unpleasant impact on the health and productivity of the Delhiites.
The news comes at a very crucial juncture for the Delhi government, which is busy planning the city for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, 2010, to begin in October. With the city set to receive thousands of foreign tourists along with athletes, the 81 out of 100 score in IBM's "Commuter Pain Study," does not bode well either for the administration or the people of Delhi.
The score as well as the ranking reflects the Delhi administration's "failure to keep the transportation infrastructure at pace with economic activity."
The study, which was carried out in 20 cities of the world, involved interviews of about 8,192 vehicle drivers and the majority opined that the daily commute between home and office was becoming a "longer and more grueling" task for them than it was earlier.
Apart from Delhi, Beijing and Mexico City scored 99 out of 100 each, making them the top two cities in the world to face disastrous traffic jams. Cities like Johannesburg and Moscow complete the top 5 slots in the table with a score of 97 and 84, respectively.
Further down, the IBM study ranks the Brazilian city of Sao Paolo as 6th, Italian city of Milan as 7th, Argentinian capital Buenos Aires as 8th, the Spanish capital of Madrid as 9th and London as 10th.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Swedish capital Stockholm scored a lowly 15 out of 100 and was adjudged the best city for commuters while cities like Melbourne and Houston were also acknowledged for having the "most pain-free roadway traffic."
Meanwhile, 40 percent of Delhiites, who were surveyed by IBM, said that they would have been able to work better and to their capacity if only their commute from home to work was reduced or made comfortable, at least.
In general, 65 per cent of the surveyed motorists said that driving not only made them stressed but also angry and affected their sleep time.
The overall perception was that the worse traffic conditions were impacting the public's performance at work and at home.
Original news source http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7019164443#ixzz0sVU0ijT2
New Delhi, the capital of India, has been adjudged among the worst cities as far as adverse traffic conditions are concerned. Ranked 5th among 20 cities from the world over, Delhi's traffic system was termed as having gone worse in the past few years, with unpleasant impact on the health and productivity of the Delhiites.
The news comes at a very crucial juncture for the Delhi government, which is busy planning the city for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, 2010, to begin in October. With the city set to receive thousands of foreign tourists along with athletes, the 81 out of 100 score in IBM's "Commuter Pain Study," does not bode well either for the administration or the people of Delhi.
The score as well as the ranking reflects the Delhi administration's "failure to keep the transportation infrastructure at pace with economic activity."
The study, which was carried out in 20 cities of the world, involved interviews of about 8,192 vehicle drivers and the majority opined that the daily commute between home and office was becoming a "longer and more grueling" task for them than it was earlier.
Apart from Delhi, Beijing and Mexico City scored 99 out of 100 each, making them the top two cities in the world to face disastrous traffic jams. Cities like Johannesburg and Moscow complete the top 5 slots in the table with a score of 97 and 84, respectively.
Further down, the IBM study ranks the Brazilian city of Sao Paolo as 6th, Italian city of Milan as 7th, Argentinian capital Buenos Aires as 8th, the Spanish capital of Madrid as 9th and London as 10th.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Swedish capital Stockholm scored a lowly 15 out of 100 and was adjudged the best city for commuters while cities like Melbourne and Houston were also acknowledged for having the "most pain-free roadway traffic."
Meanwhile, 40 percent of Delhiites, who were surveyed by IBM, said that they would have been able to work better and to their capacity if only their commute from home to work was reduced or made comfortable, at least.
In general, 65 per cent of the surveyed motorists said that driving not only made them stressed but also angry and affected their sleep time.
The overall perception was that the worse traffic conditions were impacting the public's performance at work and at home.
Original news source http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7019164443#ixzz0sVU0ijT2
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Think petrol is costly? Just see MCD’s parking plan
Thursday, 01 July, 2010
Hoping to ease the crunch for parking space in the Capital and end the menace of private parking attendants, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has devised a new parking policy, which could usher in a four-fold hike in parking charges. The 140-page draft plan takes into account the city's overall needs, the traffic pattern, vehicular movement and most importantly, aims to use 'pricing' to maintain space availability.
As reported by Newsline, the new rates are based on two factors — house tax category of the area and its respective congestion level. Though at an interim stage now, if and when approved, the revised policy will be applicable across Delhi, including NDMC areas, and will bring in a hike of around 300 per cent in parking charges.
The revised policy proposes that in case of two-wheelers in areas falling under house tax Category A and B, Rs 20 be charges for the first two hours instead of the current Rs 5, Rs 30 for the next two hours and and Rs 20 for every subsequent hour. Similarly, Rs 50 and Rs 75 is proposed to be charged for four-wheelers parked in Category A areas for the first two hours and the next two hours, respectively. It proposes to charge Rs 75 for the first two hours for parking buses and mini-vans.
The authorised parking areas will further be divided into three categories depending on their respective congestion levels and the proposed rates will hence, further be multiplied by Re 1, Rs 1.25 and Rs 1.50 respectively for the least congested, congested and the most congested areas respectively.
The idea behind the revision, say officials, is to "progressively reduce the demand for parking and facilitate organised parking for all types of vehicles, restricting the use of private vehicles and encouraging public transport, and using it as a tool to bring about changes in the MPD 2021 by introducing a regulated mixed land use philosophy" among others. If implemented, the policy will go a long way in "reducing" traffic congestion in the Capital, claim officials.
The draft plan has now been sent to all stakeholders before being presented before the MCD House and Standing Committee for approval.
Peak charge for 8 hours
Car Rs 275
(Rs 50 for first two hours, Rs 225 for next six)
Bike Rs 130
(Rs 20 for first two hours, Rs 30 for next two, Rs 20 for each subsequent hour)
Original news source http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/think-petrol-is-costly-just-see-mcds-parking-plan/640666/
Hoping to ease the crunch for parking space in the Capital and end the menace of private parking attendants, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has devised a new parking policy, which could usher in a four-fold hike in parking charges. The 140-page draft plan takes into account the city's overall needs, the traffic pattern, vehicular movement and most importantly, aims to use 'pricing' to maintain space availability.
As reported by Newsline, the new rates are based on two factors — house tax category of the area and its respective congestion level. Though at an interim stage now, if and when approved, the revised policy will be applicable across Delhi, including NDMC areas, and will bring in a hike of around 300 per cent in parking charges.
The revised policy proposes that in case of two-wheelers in areas falling under house tax Category A and B, Rs 20 be charges for the first two hours instead of the current Rs 5, Rs 30 for the next two hours and and Rs 20 for every subsequent hour. Similarly, Rs 50 and Rs 75 is proposed to be charged for four-wheelers parked in Category A areas for the first two hours and the next two hours, respectively. It proposes to charge Rs 75 for the first two hours for parking buses and mini-vans.
The authorised parking areas will further be divided into three categories depending on their respective congestion levels and the proposed rates will hence, further be multiplied by Re 1, Rs 1.25 and Rs 1.50 respectively for the least congested, congested and the most congested areas respectively.
The idea behind the revision, say officials, is to "progressively reduce the demand for parking and facilitate organised parking for all types of vehicles, restricting the use of private vehicles and encouraging public transport, and using it as a tool to bring about changes in the MPD 2021 by introducing a regulated mixed land use philosophy" among others. If implemented, the policy will go a long way in "reducing" traffic congestion in the Capital, claim officials.
The draft plan has now been sent to all stakeholders before being presented before the MCD House and Standing Committee for approval.
Peak charge for 8 hours
Car Rs 275
(Rs 50 for first two hours, Rs 225 for next six)
Bike Rs 130
(Rs 20 for first two hours, Rs 30 for next two, Rs 20 for each subsequent hour)
Original news source http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/think-petrol-is-costly-just-see-mcds-parking-plan/640666/
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