Finally, lens on 2 Metro stations’ traffic plan

A day after Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal held a review meeting with the Delhi Metro and the Delhi Traffic Police officials about Chirag Delhi and Greater Kailash (GK) Metro stations of the Magenta Line, Delhi Police top brass inspected the two stations on Wednesday to see the traffic flow and possible bottlenecks.

The inspection took place after the L-G took cognisance of The Pioneer report “Traffic mess awaits Chirag Delhi, GK metro stations” published on Monday last. Baijal had called a meeting of officers on Tuesday to discuss the issues pertaining to traffic after the opening of the stretch on Magenta Line.

Baijal had directed the Delhi Metro officials to barricade footpaths and segregate lanes for auto-rickshaws and private vehicles near the two Metro stations to avoid congestion.

Depender Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), told The Pioneer, “Our team, along with the team from the PWD and the DMRC, will hold a joint inspection on Wednesday and Thursday as well. We will assess the possible congestion points and will submit the report on how the Delhi Metro should use the space to avoid congestion.”

Pathak added the Traffic Engineering Department officials will spend time on this route to assess the volume of traffic, movement of pedestrians and those coming to board and alight on these two stations. “We will submit a detailed traffic plan to the Delhi Metro as to what should be done to avoid traffic snarls on this stretch. We are also exploring alternative routes for the commuters to avoid traffic snarls and the subsequent cascading impact,” the Special CP said.

“The Delhi Traffic Police personnel will be deployed accordingly to man stretch and the durations of red lights and blinkers will be decided on the basis of our study,” Pathak said.

As mentioned in the report, “The Chirag Delhi station located near the busy Chirag Dilli intersection on now defunct Bus Rapid Transit Corridor is just 500 metres from the Greater Kailash Metro Station. Entrances to both are situated on these main arterial roads.”

The Delhi Metro had earlier said that it is the first time that two Metro stations have been built in such close proximity.

A visit to these two stations last week by The Pioneer found that the Metro authorities do not seem to have factored in the possible chaos due to vehicles slowing down and stopping at these Metro stations on main roads. In fact, the Delhi Traffic Police had submitted their assessment on the choke points likely to be caused if the metro stations are made operational, but their observation seems to have been ignored.

Locals said once these two Metro stations become operational, it will be a nightmare for them to step out. Obviously, no lessons have been learnt from the traffic chaos caused outside existing Metro stations like Kailash Colony and Moolchand, which result in congestion due to auto-rickshaws, cabs and private vehicles parked outside these stations, they said, adding terrible traffic snarls are expected at the upcoming Chirag Delhi and Greater Kailash Metro stations.