Title - PWD, rlys to decongest, widen SP Marg for smooth traffic flow

New Delhi : The  traffic circulation plan on SP Marg outside Old Delhi railway station will soon see a complete revamp. The public works department in association with Indian Railways has prepared a new plan to decongest the arterial road in Old Delhi.The proposed plan includes removal of the railway station boundary wall to increase road width, creating a mini bus terminal at Dangal Maidan, realignment of non-motorised vehicle lane on the carriageway running from Fatehpuri traffic intersection to Kodia Pul on SP Marg.A senior railway official said the entire boundary wall from the entrance to exit of the station will be removed.

Widening carriageway:It will help in widening the carriageway outside. “The width of the carriageway will increase to 9.75 metre from the current 6.5 metre. It will in fact add one extra lane on the carriageway and smoothen the flow of vehicles on the road,” the officer said.

According to the new traffic plan cleared by apex transport and traffic planning body UTTIPEC on Monday, the non-motorised vehicle (NMV) lane will run from behind the bus stops.

“The bus stops are placed on the front edge of the footpath outside the boundary wall,” said an officer.

“The NMV lane currently runs in front of the bus stops, so the buses are forced to halt at the stops on the carriageway itself, thus causing traffic jam,” the officer added.  The new NMV lane will now run behind the bus stop.

The new traffic plan, to be implemented in phases, also envisages building a mini terminal for the city buses at Dangal Maidan, with entry and exit points on the carriageway running from Todia Pul to Fatehpuri on SP Marg.

Currently, the buses halt at the bus stops leading to heavy traffic jam on the road. Once the plan is implemented, all buses will halt in the terminal.

They will stay on the road for a while to pick up passengers from the bus stops, officials said.  The new plan comes in wake of a Delhi High Court order passed last year, which directed the PWD to take necessary measures to decongest the road and provide enough space for non-motorised vehicles. The order was passed while hearing a petition filed by NGO Manushi Sangathan. 

Several experiments, including a 15-day trial run wherein all city buses were asked to enter the station premises to pick and drop commuters, were done before finalising the current plan.

The proposed plan will also be placed before the Delhi High Court on February 22.