Delhi's Connaught Place to go vehicle-free from February

New Delhi: In a bid to decongest the area, officials have ruled that the middle and inner circular roads of Connaught Place in the heart of the national capital will be vehicle-free from February for next three months on a pilot basis.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday chaired a meeting, attended by officials from the Urban Development Ministry, New Delhi Municipal Council, and the Delhi Police, in which it was decided that Connaught Place, also called CP, be made vehicle free.

"It was decided that pedestrianisation of Connaught Place on a pilot basis would be implemented for three months from February this year for ground level testing of issues related to changes in traffic circulation, experience of pedestrians and shop owners, management of reclaimed parking lots, traffic load on outer circle etc," an official release said.

The officials stated that 'pedestrianisation' could be promoted by declaring the middle and inner circular roads of CP vehicle free by providing effective 'park and ride' services from major parking areas at Shivaji Stadium, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, and Palika parking.

Total parking capacity at these three locations is 3,172 and on an average, only 1,088 vehicles are being parked, they said, adding that the unutilised capacity could be fully used by promoting 'park and ride' concept.

Besides cycle hiring, the battery-operated vehicles would be deployed to take people to the business district.

Naidu emphasised that congestion-free, accident-free and crime-free experience of visitors shall be the objective of 'pedestrianisation'.

Erection of smart poles with CCTV cameras to be connected to central command and control centres would be completed by July, it said, adding, a MoU is also being finalised with MTNL for introducing Wi-Fi services in NDMC area.

(With PTI inputs)