After a trial run of its vehicle-free initiative in inner circle of Connaught Place on a weekend, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is now planning to test the pedestrian-friendly scheme on a workday.
On June 30, a Sunday, the NDMC had banned the entry of vehicles into CP’s inner circle between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., in a bid to improve visitor experience at one of the most iconic shopping locations in the city.
People were seen strolling in the inner circle, which is usually packed with vehicles.
The initiative has, however, been criticised by traders for affecting businesses; and received a mixed response from shoppers, with some welcoming the move and others complaining about confusion over where to park.
“We plan to go ahead with the initiative to make inner circle vehicle-free and now we will hold a trial run on a weekday to understand the difference. After that we will conduct more trails,” NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar told The Hindu .
The NDMC is holding meetings with the traders’ association to resolve issues faced by shopkeepers, and is also in touch with volunteers and the police to iron out glitches that cropped up during the trial run.
The plan
Connaught Place is laid out over three concentric circular roads (outer, middle and inner), which are connected by seven radial roads. Under the vehicle-free initiative, traffic moment will be allowed on the outer and middle circles. The seven radial roads, which connect to major roads such as Janpath and Barakhamba Road, will also be open to traffic.
All parking lots, including the ones in the inner circle, will be functional. Vehicles will be able to access the parking lots in the inner circle through a barricaded section. Parking of vehicles on the middle circle road, which is allowed on normal days, will not be permitted during the trials.
There will be pick-up and drop-off points for senior citizens and disabled people and they will also have access to eight electric cars deployed in the area. Volunteers will also be deployed to guide people who come in vehicles and there will be signage.
Though conceptualised in 2017, the NDMC carried out the first full day trial run on June 30 this year.
In May, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had made a stretch of Karol Bagh market vehicle-free. The south and east corporations are also planning to make portions of certain markets in their area pedestrian-friendly.
The New Delhi Traders’ Association has strongly opposed the initiative. “At 45 degrees Celsius, people will not park their cars somewhere else and walk to our shops,” contended Atul Bhargava, president of the NDTA.
Traders upset
“You cannot compare CP to Karol Bagh. In CP, there is enough space to walk in the corridors, unlike other markets. So, what is the need to make it vehicle free,” asked Arun Sood, who runs a cloth store in A-Block.
Claiming that business had fallen by at least 30% on June 30, Mr. Sood said: “There was a lot of congestion in the outer and middle circles during the trial as entry of vehicles was restricted. When people see online that there is a lot of congestion in CP, they prefer to go to malls.”
The owner of a popular book shop in CP said, “A lot of senior advocates and diplomats are our customers. Do you think they will park their luxury cars somewhere else and walk to the store? They will just stop coming here.” He added that business had gone down by 50% during the trial.
Shoppers, however, were quite happy with the scheme. “It [vehicle-free plan] will definitely help reduce traffic congestion in the inner circle. But it will affect people visiting CP in cars,” said Gaurav Sarkar.
“I do not think there is any problem with it [vehicle free plan] ]and the plan is fine as the walk from the parking lots is brief. But they [the authorities] have to make the parking hassle free and systematic,” said Akanki Sharma.
The next test
In preparation for a trial run on a weekday, the NDMC is holding meetings with its volunteers who will be on the ground to assist shoppers. In a conference room on the third floor of the agency’s headquarters, NDMC Secretary Rashmi Singh gave some helpful pointers to over 50 ‘civic wardens’. “Do not say CP ‘ bandh hai (is closed)’, just say there is a different traffic flow today. Last time, many people got the impression that CP is closed for vehicles,” she said.
Earlier in the day in the same room, Mr. Kumar held a meeting with traders to find a solution to their problems. He admitted that dealing with the issues of the shopkeepers was a major challenge to the initiative.
During the next trial, volunteers will work in two shifts: one from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and another from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. In the last trial, there was only one shift: from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“The reports of the last trial are positive. We hope the traders will also come around,” said a senior NDMC official.
