Thursday, Dec 31, 2009
What was described as the only solution to the parking mess on Bahardur Shah Zafar Marg — an underground multi-level parking lot to be built by MCD at Shaheed Park — has hit a roadblock. Under fire from Delhi High Court for allowing construction activities within 100 metres of protected monuments, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has refused to give permission to MCD, saying it was in the prohibited area of two centrally-protected monuments — Khooni Darwaza and Ferozeshah Kotla ruins.
Though the parking was meant to cater to Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, MCD has now shifted the site to Parade Ground near Chandni Chowk. How this will help office-goers on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, by any stretch of imagination, is not known. MCD commissioner K S Mehra told TOI: ''We will continue to try for permission from ASI and revive the original parking plan at Shaheed Park. There has to be a policy change.''
That's a remote possibility for now. A senior ASI official said: ''MCD approached us for permission five months back and the case was referred to an expert advisory committee. The committee asked MCD to submit drawings of the plan showing the location of all ASI monuments in the vicinity to ensure they were not harmed. The area is archaeologically rich and there has been evidence of ancient structures buried there. MCD was supposed to refer back to the committee with proper drawings documenting all the centrally-protected monuments. But since this committee has been dissolved after a Delhi HIgh Court order, there is no one to give them permission now.''
The high court had pulled up ASI for granting permission within 100 metres of such monuments for development work, resulting in ASI withdrawing permission to PWD for Barapullah Nallah.
Last week MCD officials had said that work on the parking lot at Shaheed Park was going to start soon.
But the standing committee agenda tabled on Wednesday clearly mentioned ''change of plan of site from Shaheed Park to Parade Ground, Chandni Chowk area''. Tenders for the proposed Shaheed Park parking lot have been floated, and while the standing committee on Wednesday gave in-principle approval to the plan, officials said shifting the project plan to Parade Ground was only an interim measure. ''The parking plan will go to the House now,'' said a senior MCD official.It was to be one of the biggest parking lot under a park in the city and would have accommodated about 700 vehicles.
Around 1,500 vehicles are parked in the Bahadurshah Zafar Marg area daily with space for only around 500 in the authorised parking lots, according to sources. Around 24 such parking sites were supposed to be constructed under the green cover in Delhi before Commonwealth Games 2010 but work has begun on only four.NEW DELHI: This New Year's eve, an increasing number of Delhiites are opting to hail a cab or designate a driver to take them home after spirited year-end bashes. With rising awareness about the ills of drunken driving and strict prosecution by the traffic police in the past year, radio cab operators and chauffeur services say advance bookings for the early hours of January 1 have touched an all-time high.
''There is no point driving back in the fog, especially after some drinks. I have already made an online booking for a cab for 3am on January 1,'' said Shashwat Khanna of Defence Colony, who is headed to a friend's farm on MG Road.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Party-safe-Delhiites-rush-to-book-cabs/articleshow/5397308.cms
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Cops are best judge of traffic: HC
Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009
The traffic police may well be cursed every now and then for changing rules that lead to vehicular congestion, but the Delhi High Court has said cops should be granted enough leeway in deciding traffic management. ''Ultimately, it is for the traffic police to decide how best they can manage and regulate traffic and parking,'' Justice Sanjiv Khanna has observed in a recent order, refusing to issue any directions to the police in a case related to central market Lajpat Nagar. He was hearing a petition filed by Resident Welfare Association of I-block, urging HC to set aside the traffic plan currently in place in the central market. The current policy makes key routes falling inside the market ''one way.''
In the petition, the RWA sought quashing of the new traffic rules issued by DCP (traffic) declaring Firoz Gandhi Marg and Veer Sawarkar Marg as one way routes. They alleged this was an arbitrary rule which put local residents to great inconvenience. After the court sought a response, the traffic police filed a status report pointing out the area in question was extremely congested.
It further informed HC that in 2004 the Central Road Research Institute had carried out a survey for regulating traffic movement and parking plan in the area, after which the MCD prepared a long term scheme for traffic movement. Once this was approved by the deputy commissioner, Central Zone, the one-way scheme was put in place. Cops maintained all due procedures had been followed and allegation of arbitrariness were unfounded.
The high court agreed saying new scheme/plans when implemented can result in inconvenience but the police can experiment and take remedial steps as and when needed.
''Every traffic plan or regulation in a heavily congested area like Lajpat Nagar is bound to create difficulties and inconvenience for some traders/residents and be more advantageous for those at another location. The fact that the market is frequented is beneficial for all traders,'' HC reasoned, leaving it to the traffic cops to consider the suggestions and take action if needed.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cops-are-best-judge-of-traffic-HC/articleshow/5393556.cms
The traffic police may well be cursed every now and then for changing rules that lead to vehicular congestion, but the Delhi High Court has said cops should be granted enough leeway in deciding traffic management. ''Ultimately, it is for the traffic police to decide how best they can manage and regulate traffic and parking,'' Justice Sanjiv Khanna has observed in a recent order, refusing to issue any directions to the police in a case related to central market Lajpat Nagar. He was hearing a petition filed by Resident Welfare Association of I-block, urging HC to set aside the traffic plan currently in place in the central market. The current policy makes key routes falling inside the market ''one way.''
In the petition, the RWA sought quashing of the new traffic rules issued by DCP (traffic) declaring Firoz Gandhi Marg and Veer Sawarkar Marg as one way routes. They alleged this was an arbitrary rule which put local residents to great inconvenience. After the court sought a response, the traffic police filed a status report pointing out the area in question was extremely congested.
It further informed HC that in 2004 the Central Road Research Institute had carried out a survey for regulating traffic movement and parking plan in the area, after which the MCD prepared a long term scheme for traffic movement. Once this was approved by the deputy commissioner, Central Zone, the one-way scheme was put in place. Cops maintained all due procedures had been followed and allegation of arbitrariness were unfounded.
The high court agreed saying new scheme/plans when implemented can result in inconvenience but the police can experiment and take remedial steps as and when needed.
''Every traffic plan or regulation in a heavily congested area like Lajpat Nagar is bound to create difficulties and inconvenience for some traders/residents and be more advantageous for those at another location. The fact that the market is frequented is beneficial for all traders,'' HC reasoned, leaving it to the traffic cops to consider the suggestions and take action if needed.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cops-are-best-judge-of-traffic-HC/articleshow/5393556.cms
Crane topples on cars in South Delhi
Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009
Four cars damaged, none hurt as hydra crane at flyover construction site falls during morning rush hour
Four cars were damaged after a hydra crane at an under-construction flyover site fell on them in Badarpur, Southeast Delhi, on Tuesday morning.
No one was reported injured.
The mishap occurred at 8.30 am near the Jaitpur crossing traffic signal, when the crane fell on early-morning traffic moving from Faridabad towards the Capital. At least four cars were damaged in the incident; people inside them "miraculously" escaped unhurt, police and rescue officials said.
A Maruti-800, a Maruti Zen, a Tata Indigo Marino and a Mahindra Bolero were damaged in the accident.
T N Kaushik, who was driving the Maruti-800 on which the crane fell, told Newsline, "I was going to Nizamuddin railway station to receive my sister and brother-in-law when the incident occurred. I and a relative accompanying me were in the car when it fell suddenly — the car's roof bent down due to the impact." Kaushik lives in Sector-24, Faridabad.
The others who bore the brunt of the mishap were Sumit (driving the Bolero car from Jattari to Delhi with two others), Nikhil Sharma (headed for his office in Noida in the Zen), and Sunil Kumar Aggarwal and two of his friends — all residents of Agra — who were on their way to Mayapuri in their Indigo car.
The police have confiscated the crane and arrested its driver, identified as Sanjay Giri, for negligence. Police officials said further aspects in the case are being investigated. They added that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had awarded the contract for building the flyover to Hindustan Construction Company, which had sub-contracted the work.
The six-lane elevated Badarpur-Faridabad flyover on Mathura Road is proposed to be a 4.4-kilometre signal-free stretch. It stretches from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) station at Badarpur to the Sector-37 crossing in Faridabad.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Crane-topples-on-cars-in-South-Delhi/561305
Four cars damaged, none hurt as hydra crane at flyover construction site falls during morning rush hour
Four cars were damaged after a hydra crane at an under-construction flyover site fell on them in Badarpur, Southeast Delhi, on Tuesday morning.
No one was reported injured.
The mishap occurred at 8.30 am near the Jaitpur crossing traffic signal, when the crane fell on early-morning traffic moving from Faridabad towards the Capital. At least four cars were damaged in the incident; people inside them "miraculously" escaped unhurt, police and rescue officials said.
A Maruti-800, a Maruti Zen, a Tata Indigo Marino and a Mahindra Bolero were damaged in the accident.
T N Kaushik, who was driving the Maruti-800 on which the crane fell, told Newsline, "I was going to Nizamuddin railway station to receive my sister and brother-in-law when the incident occurred. I and a relative accompanying me were in the car when it fell suddenly — the car's roof bent down due to the impact." Kaushik lives in Sector-24, Faridabad.
The others who bore the brunt of the mishap were Sumit (driving the Bolero car from Jattari to Delhi with two others), Nikhil Sharma (headed for his office in Noida in the Zen), and Sunil Kumar Aggarwal and two of his friends — all residents of Agra — who were on their way to Mayapuri in their Indigo car.
The police have confiscated the crane and arrested its driver, identified as Sanjay Giri, for negligence. Police officials said further aspects in the case are being investigated. They added that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had awarded the contract for building the flyover to Hindustan Construction Company, which had sub-contracted the work.
The six-lane elevated Badarpur-Faridabad flyover on Mathura Road is proposed to be a 4.4-kilometre signal-free stretch. It stretches from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) station at Badarpur to the Sector-37 crossing in Faridabad.
Original news source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Crane-topples-on-cars-in-South-Delhi/561305
Sunday, December 27, 2009
New traffic circulation plan for CP
Monday , Dec 28, 2009
With the New Delhi Municipal Council taking up redevelopment work at Connaught Place including construction of eight new subways in outer circle, a service corridor in middle circle, façade restoration and other related improvements, a new traffic advisory has been issued for the market place.
The new plan would come into effect from January 1 and remain in place for a period of 80 days.
As per the new traffic circulation plan, only half the width of outer circle would be available for vehicular movement and no parking would be available on middle circle and outer circle. Only one lane would be available in middle circle for traffic movement.Along with issuing the new traffic advisory, the Delhi Traffic Police also advised the general public to use the metro railway and other public transport for commuting to Connaught Place. While bus route numbers 56, 85, 166, 181, 355, 393, 440, 460, 604, 729, RL-77, RL-75, RL-79, RL-77 Extra, GL-91 and 522AC destined for New Delhi Railway station would continue to ply through Connaught Place, routes of other buses plying through Connaught Place have been changed and would be notified shortly by the Delhi Transport Corporation.
The eight subways that will come up in the outer circle will include one near Super Bazar, Minto Road, State Entry Road, Chelmsford Road, Bhagat Singh Marg, and two each at Punchkuian Road and Barakhamba Road on both sides of the metro line. These subways will be disabled-friendly and have escalators.
Work on the subways is expected to be completed in three phases and would cost Rs.35 crore. The condition of existing subways would also be improved as part of the project. Apart from subway construction and improvement the NDMC is also going to begin with service ducting in the middle circle which will require more digging to put all wires and cables into a duct.
However, traders of Connaught Place have not taken well to the traffic arrangements following the redevelopment work. According to New Delhi Traders' Association president Atul Bharghav, the new traffic circulation plan would only lead to increased traffic congestion and bottlenecks in Connaught Place and have an adverse impact on their business.At present facade restoration work is on in 16 blocks in Connaught Place making it a task for pedestrians to walk around the area. These projects have a deadline of Commonwealth Games 2010 due to which they have all been taken up simultaneously.
Original news source http://www.thehindu.com/2009/12/28/stories/2009122855910400.htm
With the New Delhi Municipal Council taking up redevelopment work at Connaught Place including construction of eight new subways in outer circle, a service corridor in middle circle, façade restoration and other related improvements, a new traffic advisory has been issued for the market place.
The new plan would come into effect from January 1 and remain in place for a period of 80 days.
As per the new traffic circulation plan, only half the width of outer circle would be available for vehicular movement and no parking would be available on middle circle and outer circle. Only one lane would be available in middle circle for traffic movement.Along with issuing the new traffic advisory, the Delhi Traffic Police also advised the general public to use the metro railway and other public transport for commuting to Connaught Place. While bus route numbers 56, 85, 166, 181, 355, 393, 440, 460, 604, 729, RL-77, RL-75, RL-79, RL-77 Extra, GL-91 and 522AC destined for New Delhi Railway station would continue to ply through Connaught Place, routes of other buses plying through Connaught Place have been changed and would be notified shortly by the Delhi Transport Corporation.
The eight subways that will come up in the outer circle will include one near Super Bazar, Minto Road, State Entry Road, Chelmsford Road, Bhagat Singh Marg, and two each at Punchkuian Road and Barakhamba Road on both sides of the metro line. These subways will be disabled-friendly and have escalators.
Work on the subways is expected to be completed in three phases and would cost Rs.35 crore. The condition of existing subways would also be improved as part of the project. Apart from subway construction and improvement the NDMC is also going to begin with service ducting in the middle circle which will require more digging to put all wires and cables into a duct.
However, traders of Connaught Place have not taken well to the traffic arrangements following the redevelopment work. According to New Delhi Traders' Association president Atul Bharghav, the new traffic circulation plan would only lead to increased traffic congestion and bottlenecks in Connaught Place and have an adverse impact on their business.At present facade restoration work is on in 16 blocks in Connaught Place making it a task for pedestrians to walk around the area. These projects have a deadline of Commonwealth Games 2010 due to which they have all been taken up simultaneously.
Original news source http://www.thehindu.com/2009/12/28/stories/2009122855910400.htm
Sunday, December 20, 2009
New underground Metro station at Central Secretariat
Monday , Dec 21, 2009
By September next year, the existing Metro station at Central Secretariat with double up to cater to the existing Line 2 which will beextended to Gurgaon and a new Metro line to Badarpur. To provide seamless connectivity and interchange between the two lines, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has created a new underground station beside the existing one and the two are going to be interlinked at the platform as well as concourse (ticketing) levels.
For all those travelling on the Jehangirpuri-Central Secretariat-Gurgaon and Central Secretariat-Badarpur Metro lines, the station will act as an interchange point where passengers can switch lines. For better connectivity, all passengers entering this underground Metro station will find a common concourse from where they can purchase tokens/smart cards and move towards the platform of their destination using lifts, escalators or staircases.
"Direct access will be provided between the platforms of Line 2 (Jehangirpuri to Gurgaon) and Line 6 (Central Secretariat to Badarpur) so that passengers from Jehangirpuri side wanting to travel towards Badarpur have to walk a short distance on the same level to change trains. Other passengers will have to come up to the concourse level before changing platforms,'' explained a DMRC spokesperson.
This is the first time an operational Metro station has been expanded. "The task is challenging as construction activities are being carried out without causing inconvenience to commuters. It was also very complex for the engineers to excavate a tunnel at a depth of approximately 16m running through the high-security Lutyens' Zone,'' the spokesperson added.
The new underground station has been constructed using the cut and cover technique. It has a height of 5.75m and width of 5.2m, stretching up to the Udyog Bhawan underground Metro station. The length of each platform is 140m with a width of 6.5m. The station will have five entry/exit points, which will be common for the old and new stations.
Parking at Central Secretariat station will also be restored by September 2010, after the Badarpur line becomes operational. The Gurgaon line is scheduled to start by June next year. The passenger subway at Gate No 4 will also be reopened at the same time.
The construction work of the Metro station for Line 6 started in September 2007 and over 75% of the civil work has been completed. The new Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor will have 15 stations covering a distance of 20.16km. The expected daily traffic on this corridor is 3,60,122 by 2011.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/New-underground-Metro-station-at-C-Sec-/articleshow/5359968.cms
By September next year, the existing Metro station at Central Secretariat with double up to cater to the existing Line 2 which will beextended to Gurgaon and a new Metro line to Badarpur. To provide seamless connectivity and interchange between the two lines, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has created a new underground station beside the existing one and the two are going to be interlinked at the platform as well as concourse (ticketing) levels.
For all those travelling on the Jehangirpuri-Central Secretariat-Gurgaon and Central Secretariat-Badarpur Metro lines, the station will act as an interchange point where passengers can switch lines. For better connectivity, all passengers entering this underground Metro station will find a common concourse from where they can purchase tokens/smart cards and move towards the platform of their destination using lifts, escalators or staircases.
"Direct access will be provided between the platforms of Line 2 (Jehangirpuri to Gurgaon) and Line 6 (Central Secretariat to Badarpur) so that passengers from Jehangirpuri side wanting to travel towards Badarpur have to walk a short distance on the same level to change trains. Other passengers will have to come up to the concourse level before changing platforms,'' explained a DMRC spokesperson.
This is the first time an operational Metro station has been expanded. "The task is challenging as construction activities are being carried out without causing inconvenience to commuters. It was also very complex for the engineers to excavate a tunnel at a depth of approximately 16m running through the high-security Lutyens' Zone,'' the spokesperson added.
The new underground station has been constructed using the cut and cover technique. It has a height of 5.75m and width of 5.2m, stretching up to the Udyog Bhawan underground Metro station. The length of each platform is 140m with a width of 6.5m. The station will have five entry/exit points, which will be common for the old and new stations.
Parking at Central Secretariat station will also be restored by September 2010, after the Badarpur line becomes operational. The Gurgaon line is scheduled to start by June next year. The passenger subway at Gate No 4 will also be reopened at the same time.
The construction work of the Metro station for Line 6 started in September 2007 and over 75% of the civil work has been completed. The new Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor will have 15 stations covering a distance of 20.16km. The expected daily traffic on this corridor is 3,60,122 by 2011.
Original news source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/New-underground-Metro-station-at-C-Sec-/articleshow/5359968.cms
ON TRACK - Railway minister rolls out gift for east Delhi residents
Sunday , Dec 20, 2009
It's a New Year gift to more than 50-lakh people residing in East Delhi and surrounding areas.
Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit jointly inaugurated the new station building of the new railway terminal at Anand Vihar.
But to begin with, only one platform will be operational.<br>"This is only the beginning and it will soon be expanded," Dikshit said.
Dilskhit said the new terminal would benefit over 10 lakh people who come to Delhi everyday in their cars or buses and add to vehicular pressure on Delhi roads.
"Delhi's traffic is really bad and every one in Delhi is worried about it. The new terminal will help in decongesting Delhi's roads," Dikshit said.
In the long run, the new terminal will have 272 trains - long distance express and passenger trains as well as local and shuttle -- to and from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other eastern states either originating or passing through the station.
"From March 10, three new express trains -- Garibrath Express for Motihari, one for Jogbani and another for Varanasi, will start from Anand Vihar. Two more trains, one for Farakka and another for New Jalpaiguri, will also start soon," a northern railway spokesperson said.
While the officials maintained that all eastbound trains will start or terminate at Anand Vihar terminal, they refused to say how soon it is going to happen.
The railway minister also flagged off the first express train, which will originate and terminate at Anand Vihar. The Anand Vihar-Lucknow winter special will run thrice a week.
On the lines of the railway's first women special EMU train between New Delhi and Palwal, Banerjee also inaugurated another women's special train to run between Ghaziabad and New Delhi. She also announced the launch of more women special trains and re-christening them to 'Matrabhoomi Special'.
Banerjee also announced increase in number of coaches in Delhi - Panipat EMU train from 12 to 15.
Keeping the Commonwealth Games 2010 in mind, Banerjee said, "A special train would be run throughout the country to popularise the games."<div id=speechData style='display:none;'>It's a New Year gift to more than 50-lakh people residing in East Delhi and surrounding areas.
Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit jointly inaugurated the new station building of the new railway terminal at Anand Vihar.
But to begin with, only one platform will be operational.<br>"This is only the beginning and it will soon be expanded," Dikshit said.
Dilskhit said the new terminal would benefit over 10 lakh people who come to Delhi everyday in their cars or buses and add to vehicular pressure on Delhi roads.
"Delhi's traffic is really bad and every one in Delhi is worried about it. The new terminal will help in decongesting Delhi's roads," Dikshit said.
In the long run, the new terminal will have 272 trains - long distance express and passenger trains as well as local and shuttle -- to and from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other eastern states either originating or passing through the station.
"From March 10, three new express trains -- Garibrath Express for Motihari, one for Jogbani and another for Varanasi, will start from Anand Vihar. Two more trains, one for Farakka and another for New Jalpaiguri, will also start soon," a northern railway spokesperson said.
While the officials maintained that all eastbound trains will start or terminate at Anand Vihar terminal, they refused to say how soon it is going to happen.
The railway minister also flagged off the first express train, which will originate and terminate at Anand Vihar. The Anand Vihar-Lucknow winter special will run thrice a week.
On the lines of the railway's first women special EMU train between New Delhi and Palwal, Banerjee also inaugurated another women's special train to run between Ghaziabad and New Delhi. She also announced the launch of more women special trains and re-christening them to 'Matrabhoomi Special'.
Banerjee also announced increase in number of coaches in Delhi - Panipat EMU train from 12 to 15.
Keeping the Commonwealth Games 2010 in mind, Banerjee said, "A special train would be run throughout the country to popularise the games."
Original Article sourced from http://hindustantimes.com
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Traffic cops mull extra tax for those owning more than two vehicles
Wednesday , Dec 16, 2009
If you fancy a fleet of cars parked in front of your house, be ready to shell out more as taxes.
The Delhi Traffic Police has told the High Court that it favours levying additional taxes on those who own more than two vehicles. In a submission before the High Court, the department said it is mulling stricter taxation rules to keep a check on the number of vehicles — fast spiralling out of control and severely adding to the city's traffic problems.
The traffic department's counsel, Vikas Pahwa, told a Special Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justices S Muralidhar and S Ravinder Bhatt that the suggestions have already been submitted to the Delhi government for consideration and suitable action.
Pahwa told the Bench that putting on hold registration of vehicles is the first step "to ease out traffic on roads". He told the court: "For those who have more than two vehicles registered in their names, we are planning to slap more taxes in the form of road tax, parking charges, area pricing and other such taxes."
He said the stringent norms are necessary since about 30 per cent vehicles on Delhi roads are cars, and two-wheelers constitute 62 per cent.
The Bench said the government should consider the change in regulations governing taxes for vehicles.
The court was hearing a petition by the NGO Manushi, which said the court's order and MCD's policy of banning cycle rickshaws from main arterial roads and Chandni Chowk was arbitrary and violated fundamental rights of rickshawpullers. The Bench reserved its verdict and asked the civic body's counsel to submit the written arguments in a week's time.
The government had earlier suggested the introduction of biometric badges for cycle rickshawpullers, and also adopting different colour codes for each city zone.
Original Article sourced from http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/traffic-cops-mull-extra-tax-for-those-owning-more-than-two-vehicles/554612/
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