Multi-level parking planned at IGI

Thursday , Nov 26, 2009

The parking nightmare at IGI airport will soon be a thing of the past. The new integrated terminal at the IGI Airport which will become operational before next year's Commonwealth Games, will also boast of India's largest multi-level car parking with a capacity of over 4,300 vehicles, taking the total parking capacity of the airport to about 6,500 vehicles. 

At present, the domestic and international terminals have a combined capacity of 2,200 vehicles. With traffic expected to grow as the Games nears, and the new terminal catering to both domestic and international operations, the airport will have a capacity of 60 million passengers per year. 

The five-storeyed building is being built on a 19.263 sq m area and is expected to be complete by March 31. Each subsequent floor will be 19,155 sq m. Its terrace will be used for parking and will be connected to terminal T3 with an air conditioned skywalk with travelators and through a corridor on the ground floor. 

Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd is yet to finalize an agency to which it will outsource the management of the lot but officials say that payment for parking will be done both through cash and cards. "Those using the parking will be given the option of paying in advance. Depending on which level they use, they may also be able to avail of automated parking and valet services. Otherwise, it will be a drive-through parking lot," said an official. 

Tickets would be purchased through automatic dispensers and the airport parking payment system — an integrated electronic system — will calculate time of usage of the parking lot. Once inside, there will be electronic and static signages to point out vacant parking slots. The space availability display system will also indicate the number and location of vacant slots. The ground floor will have four entry and exit gates while the upper floors will have two entry and exit lanes each. 

The parking area will be serviced with flight information display systems, a public address system and CCTV cameras for greater security.

Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Multi-level-parking-planned-at-IGI/articleshow/5269665.cms

Drunk drivers will lose licence, face trial, court told

Thursday , Nov 26, 2009

Alcohol fuelled revelry on city roads is likely to be a thing of the past soon, with the Delhi Traffic Police claiming in a status report filed before the High Court that it will ensure that the guilty are brought to task.

The report, filed on Wednesday, through senior police counsel Meera Bhatia, reveals that not only will the government take a drunk driver to the Magistrate Court for trial but also "simultaneously" initiate their disqualification process from the Capital's roads before the Transport department.

The double-edged method, as detailed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic HQ) Prabhakar, is part of an elaborate set of guidelines discussed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) with the Commissioner (Transport), Delhi government.

Earlier on October 7, a Bench led by Chief Justice A P Shah had directed the police to draft guidelines within three weeks.

"When a violator is prosecuted, his or her driving licence shall be taken into possession and forwarded along with the traffic challan to the court. A photocopy of the licence shall be taken to initiate a proposal for disqualification/revocation of driving licence with the Transport department," said the status report filed before the Bench.

In case an offender is caught without a driving licence, the police are free to seize "any other valid document" on the offender — Road Certificate, Transport Permit or Fitness Certificate, said Prabhakar.

This is to "ensure the presence of the violator in court," he added.

If no documents are found on the violator, the vehicle will be impounded.

The police also have the choice of sending proposals for disqualification of a driving licence to the traffic police. The DCP Traffic (VIP) has been nominated as a nodal officer to take up all such cases with the Transport department.

A disqualification proposal from the police to the department should include an authenticated copy of the challan, copies of the driving licence and the breath analyzer report, Prabhakar said. "Transport department shall disqualify the driving licences for a period as per the gravity of the offence. The department has already issued notices to defaulters," the report read.

Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/drunk-drivers-will-lose-licence-face-trial-court-told/546298/0

4 years on, little progress in Kamla Nagar parking project

Monday , Nov 23, 2009

Four years after announcing its plan of building the first fully automatic multi-level parking lot at Kamla Nagar market in the Capital, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has done little work in this regard.

Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna had laid the foundation stone for the project in 2007. At the spot for the project, however, there has been close to no action since then.

The civic body has now announced that the tender for the project was awarded two months ago and work has finally already begun.

The site selected for the project, a park at a roundabout, tells a different story. The roundabout has been partially broken to create a temporary entrance and the corporation has installed a board announcing the work will be undertaken at the site.

Besides that, little else has been done so far.

According to the security guard at the site, a few labourers had arrived two months ago to install the board and a temporary boundary wall to mark off the area. Since then, no worker or MCD official has visited or done work at the site.

The agency, meanwhile, maintains that work is on track at the site and the parking lot will be developed before the 2010 Games. "Progress of work at the site is satisfactory and while we are not in the position to give a projected deadline yet, it will hopefully be done before the Games," Subhash Arya, leader of the House at MCD, said.

The stack parking project will be spread over 3,200 square m, will have seven levels and will accommodate 834 cars and 300 scooters.

Once completed, the project will provide a much needed breather to the Kamla Nagar market, which currently has no parking arrangement and is regularly plagued with traffic jams, since most traders and shoppers leave their vehicles on the main road inside the market.

The project is being developed on a public private partnership basis by the MCD and a private firm called SMS Infrastructure Limited.

The civic body had had acknowledged the delay in getting work started earlier in 2007, saying the necessary environment clearances had taken up time. An MCD official, however, said the municipality had rushed the announcement of the project without getting even the basic paperwork done.

"There is a water and sewer line below the park in Kamla Nagar," he said. "The MCD had to first take permission from the Delhi Jal Board to construct the parking lot. Clearance was also necessary from the DDA and all that took time."

Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/4-years-on-little-progress-in-kamla-nagar-parking-project/544946/0

Cycle stations, rental options along BRT corridor soon

Monday , Nov 23, 2009

The Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System (DIMTS), in charge of operating the BRT corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand, is setting up five cycle stations along the corridor where people can also hire cycles at a nominal rate.

The corridor already has dedicated cycle lanes alongside the pavements. DIMTS has set up the first cycle station at the Greater Kailash-Siri Fort road junction, and four more are to follow over the next 10 days, officials said.

While cyclists can park their bikes at these places for a nominal charge, which is yet to be fixed, enthusiasts can also hire bikes at Rs 10 for the whole day.

"The idea is to promote non-motorised modes of transport," an official said, adding that nearly 20 per cent of Delhi's traffic comprises cyclists. The initiative is in collaboration with the Delhi Cycling Club (DCC), an NGO that carries out cycling tours around the city.

"We have been working with DIMTS for almost a year now on promoting cycling. To that end, we had organised a cycling rally in June, where participants were given bikes for free to ride along the corridor," said DCC convenor Nalin Sinha.

Officials said cycling tracks along the BRT corridor between Moolchand and Ambedkar Nagar is used extensively by people living in Madangir and Sangam Vihar areas.

DIMTS already has a non-motorised transport cell, meant to promote green options like cycling. The official said DIMTS is already getting queries for hiring bicycles.

DIMTS's move is in sync with the Delhi government's attempt to de-motorise streets around Commonwealth Games venues, during the sports extravaganza next October. While the government is looking at ensuring that maximum people use public transport like DTC buses and Metro during the Games, cycling tracks about 1.5 metres wide are an integral part of streetscaping around Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Lutyens Delhi and Delhi University areas.

The DIMTS decision is also in line with Delhi Metro's initiative of setting up bicycle stands and offering cycles on rent at its stations. the Metro has such cycle stations at Delhi University, Patel Chowk, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road and IP Extension stations.

Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cycle-stations-rental-options-along-brt-corridor-soon/544938/0

Commonwealth Games gets a helping hand from students

Saturday, Nov 21, 2009

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is preparing approximately 5000 cadets from various schools and colleges of the Capital to serve the nation during its most prestigious event, the Commonwealth Games 2010 (CWG).

NCC Director General, Lt General R. K. Karwal, lauded the volunteering services offered by the cadets on the eve of its 61stanniversary. He anticipated a prominent role of the NCC during the CWG as it did for the Asiad Games.

"We are continuously thriving towards contributing to the forthcoming grand event and are ready to provide the organizing committee as many cadets as they require. The committee is continuously in touch with us to fit our cadets in their plan. Their training mainly involves traffic control, crowd management and disaster management. They did a commendable job during the Sarojini Nagar blasts," said Lt. Gen Karwal.

The anniversary celebrations of the NCC went on for a week. It conducted 37 national integration camps and 6 special integration camps in different parts of the country.

"Such camps help develop respect and admiration for the vast cultural diversity of our country where the cadets are exposed to a common platform for interaction. This initiative will help train our cadets when a lot of foreign tourists would come in our country," said Lt. General.

The fourth Sunday of every November is celebrated as the NCC Day to commemorate the first ever function held by it on its inception. It was in November 1949 that the NCC held its first function with India's first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru presiding over it in Delhi.

"The NCC is the largest uniform youth organization in the world with 13 lakh cadets including three lakh girls, engaged in grooming the youths to make them socially aware," he added.

Original news source http://www.indiaedunews.net/Delhi/Commonwealth_Games_gets_a_helping_hand_from_students_9597/

Balloons to monitor Delhi traffic

Friday, Nov 20, 2009

Tizzy over Delhi's traffic during for the Commonwealth Games when it is likely to go haywire, Delhi Police is going ballistic. Or you may just call it a flight of fancy. Come the Commonwealth Games, balloons will keep watch on Delhi's chaotic and mindless traffic.

High-resolution cameras installed on aerostat balloons will capture real-time images and relay them to the police.

High-resolution PTZ-pan, tilt and zoom-cameras will be installed on the balloons filled with helium gas, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S N Shrivastava told Deccan Herald here on Friday.

While the traffic constable manning a road cannot monitor the entire stretch from one point, camera-equipped balloons will be extremely helpful as they are the best option for viewing large areas, according to Shrivastava.

Trials of the instruments were held at two places – India Gate and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium – and the results were found to be successful.  If the method proves helpful, police may permanently use it during other important events in the city.

In view of the Commonwealth Games – to be held in October, 2010 – the police have already started identifying traffic bottleneck areas where the equipment can be installed.

Delhi is infamous for its traffic bottlenecks as the number of vehicles plying on the clogged city roads has crossed 58 lakh. In addition, there are more than a lakh vehicles coming from neighbouring states into the city everyday.

With at least 1,000 new vehicles getting registered daily, the traffic police are grappling for a solution.

Original news source http://www.deccanherald.com/content/37090/balloons-monitor-delhi-traffic.html

MCD nod to Commonwealth projects worth Rs547 crore

Thursday, Nov 19, 2009

As part of its infrastructure development efforts for the Commonwealth Games 2010, MCD will construct two multi-levelparking sites and three road under-bridges in the national capital.

Projects worth Rs547 crore were approved at a meeting of the MCD standing committee, a crucial decision-making body of the civic agency, today.

Among them are two multi-level parking sites in Pitampura and New Friends' Colony and three RuBs in Mangolpuri, Mundka and Najafgarh Bijwasan, standing committee chairman RK Singhal told reporters.

Original news source http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_mcd-nod-to-commonwealth-projects-worth-rs547-crore_1313927