Poor cousins run on the slow track

SAME FATE If the New Delhi junction is struggling with several problems, the situation at four other stations in the Capital is no different

NEW DELHI: Apart from New Delhi, the national Capital has four other stations are not comparable to the showpiece one in terms of size. But together they cater to a staggering 10 lakh passengers daily. Yet, they are also grappling with several problems because they are low on the railways' priority list.

Their tale of woes include issues such as congested entries, poor security and sanitation, and even monkeys.

Inaugurated in 2009, to cater to eastbound trains from Delhi, Anand Vihar is still in relatively good shape. But the railways needs to immediately improve the condition of the other three — Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Sarai Rohilla.

At the Old Delhi station — which preceded the New Delhi railway station by 60 years — the lounge and some platforms have been improved but only to an extent. The entry is a nightmare. Worse is in store once you are on the premises. Open urinals and stray dogs are a big put off. The tracks are extremely dirty. "The railways must build a facility to wash the tracks. You cannot stand here because of the stench," said Sumit Kumar Singh, a passenger.

The real danger lurks at the platforms. Groups of monkeys harass passengers all the time.

At the Hazrat Nizamuddin station, congestion has been eased after a prepaid taxi service was started, waiting rooms opened and a second foot-over bridge put in place but poor security is what strikes you first. A walk up to the overbridge towards the platforms reveals a non-functional baggage scanner with a signboard saying "Machine Kharab Hai" (The machine is out of order). There are no security personnel anywhere in sight at the door frame metal detectors. "So many bomb blasts have happened in Delhi yet these people are not alert," said Rajesh Tyagi, a passenger. Many of the drinking water taps on the platform lie defunct amid filth.

The approach to the Sarai Rohilla station is a real nightmare for passengers. They have to manoeuvre through narrow lanes in gated colonies off the New Rohtak Road. "Officials have been promising for years that they would ensure a wide entry to the station, but nothing has happened," said a passenger.

"The old and dilapidated station building has been renovated. But there's shortage of drinking water," admitted a railway employee at the station. There is hardly any security and garbage can be seen strewn all over the premises. Waiting rooms are dirty and passengers prefer to sit and wait at the platforms.

At Anand Vihar station, passengers don't seem to have many complaints. "But a new, well-maintained station should not make officials complacent,” cautioned Rita Sulekha, a passenger.

Source: Hindustan Times, Delhi Edition, 13.12.2012

Small markets to be rebuilt into shopping centres

NEW DELHI: Around 38 small decrepit markets located in areas such as Paharganj, Karol Bagh, Azad Market and Roshanara Road may get a makeover with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation planning to build shopping complexes in their places. Some of these markets were transferred to the unified MCD in 2006 from the Land and Development Office (L&DO) and the Directorate of Estates of the Union government. The corporation was supposed to redevelop these markets.

“We have passed the proposal to redevelop the markets but are yet to work out the models and designs for the shops. The complexes will greatly benefit markets and shopkeepers who are not being able to maintain them at present. Many of these markets are crumbling and need immediate attention,” said Mahender Nagpal, leader of the House.

Civic body officials said that building shopping complexes would fulfil two purposes: it would give a better earning capacity to the existing shopkeepers who would be given shops in new buildings and secondly, the space would be utilised.

“Many new shops that will be created will give opportunities to others also. There will be a basement parking in each of the new buildings,” said a senior official.

The 38 markets under consideration are situated in areas such as Paharganj, Karol Bagh, Azad Market, Roshanara Road, Patel Nagar, Old and New Rajendra Nagar, Rani Jhansi Market, Desbandhu Gupta Market and Ramesh Nagar.

Source: Hindustan Times  (11 Dec, 2012) 

Soon, e-rickshaws to go off roads

Delhi traffic police to come down heavily on all e-rickshaws plying on roads without valid documents

NEW DELHI: It seems that Delhi Metro’s plan to bridge the gap between your home and the nearest Metro station with the help of the city's newest mode of public transport— e-rickshaws — will not see the light of the day.

Less than a week after the government stopped the sale of battery-operated rickshaws or e-rickshaws in the Capital, they are now all set to go off roads. The transport department has decided to initiate an intensive drive against them.

The Delhi traffic police decided to come down heavily on all e-rickshaws plying on city roads on Monday. “We are starting a drive to prosecute e-rickshaws that violate the motor vehicle act. Any such rickshaws found without valid documents will be impounded and sent to court,” said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic). The police will start the drive from central Delhi, Garg added.

The transport department had recently defined e-rickshaws as motorised vehicles as their motor has more than 250 watt of power and its maximum speed is higher than 25kmph.

As per the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, any vehicle is deemed to be a motor vehicle if its maximum speed is more than 25kmph and the power of the motor exceeds 250 watt.

Based on these norms, the operation of battery-operated rickshaws has been made illegal as these violate the motor vehicles act, 1988, transport department sources said.

“Most of these rickshaws are plying without valid registrations, type approvals from a specified testing agency, permits and fitness certificates,” said a transport department official.

Looking at the rising popularity of e-rickshaws among Metro commuters, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had recently decided to introduce e-rickshaws as its feeder service as part of its plan to boost lastmile connectivity, said DMRC officials.

The agency had also invited Expression of Interest (EOI) for starting eco-friendly e-rickshaws from its Chattarpur Metro station as a pilot project and was working out a feasibility study to finalise the stations where the feeder e-rickshaw service would be started.

Source: Hindustan Times (11 Dec 2012)

Stop harassing rickshaw-pullers over ID proof: HC

NEW DELHI: In a significant judgment upholding the right to livelihood of rickshaw-pullers, the Delhi High Court on Monday asked civic agencies and police not to harass them by insisting on Delhi residence proof.


The court said that cycle rickshaws were indispensable in the present public transport scenario of the Capital. The fact that a majority of rickshawpullers were migrants was taken note of by the judges.


Manushi Sangathan, the NGO which raised the issue, told the court that hapless rickshawpullers faced the biggest harassment at the hands of the law enforcement agencies on this account.


“Rickshaws are indispensable for providing link transport to innumerable users of public transport. Given the unprecedented growth of residential colonies, a large section of the middle-class population which commutes by buses, trains and the Metro, is dependent on cycle rickshaws for further journey to their homes and places of work,” said justice S Muralidhar and justice S Ravindra Bhat, while dismissing the MCD plea that rickshaw-pullers should be compulsorily made to furnish Delhi residence proof.


The plea that they could be a security threat was also rejected by the court which said “rickshaw-pullers by themselves cannot constitute a security risk”.


“Most rickshaw-pullers are migrants from other states and are unlikely to have any proof of residence in Delhi. They are mostly homeless, having to either sleep on the rickshaw itself or use the city’s pavements for a night’s rest. The more fortunate ones may be able to find some space in a jhuggi cluster on a temporary basis,” said the court.


“In present circumstances, the insistence on proof of residence from rickshaw pliers as a condition for the grant of registration or licence would undoubtedly cause them further harassment and create a barrier for them to obtain either,” said the court.


Noting that rickshaw-pullers “literally” live in the open, the judges said, “It is not difficult for the police, if it makes a concerted effort, to trace any rickshaw-puller.

Source: Hindustan Times  (11 Dec 2012)

Parking projects way off mark

New Delhi: Like many of the erstwhile MCD’s ambitious parking projects, the stack parking on Sat Bhirawan Road, Karol Bagh, has also missed several deadlines. The project, which was sanctioned in 2009, is yet to be made operational. MCD had also planned a multilevel automated parking under PPP model at Shastri Park in Karol Bagh but it never took off due to poor response from bidders. 
    Despite collecting Rs 29 crore from traders as parking charges, North Corporation, created after the MCD trifurcation in April, has not been able to create new parking space in the market. “Over the years, the footfall in the Karol Bagh market has increased manifolds, but the corporation has done little to address the parking problem. The stack parking was to be completed before the Commonwealth Games but it is yet to be made operational,” said Lovleen Kumar, who owns a guesthouse. 
    Kumar claims the project is not feasible. “The parking lot has been constructed on the road. This will block traffic movement. The corporation planned this project in a hurry.” 
    Officials say the Rs 80-lakh project got delayed as it was challenged by a trader in the Delhi high court. But sources say the matter was resolved in August 2010. “After the court case, the project was put on hold due to Commonwealth Games. The construction work started in December 2010,” said an official. The parking, which has space for 90 cars, was to be completed within six months but the project got stuck in bureaucratic process. Similarly, the proposed parking near Jessa Ram Hospital is yet to be tendered. 
    While shoppers and traders complain about parking problems, the corporation has done little to identify new space. The corporation has seven authorized parking sites. Illegal parking is happening on all arterial roads. “They overcharge people and block the entire road as cars are parked in double lanes,” said Murli Mani, president of Karol Bagh Traders’ Association. 
    According to Yogender Chandolia, chairman, standing committee, North Corporation, “The stack parking was planned for the Commonwealth Games. But we could not start the project due to legal issues. We hope to complete it by early next year. As for Shastri Park, we will again float tenders. We are also going to identify new surface-level parking sites.”

Source: TOI (11 Dec, 2012)

Vendors occupy pavements, shoppers forced onto roads

The corporation is likely to approve a policy for street vendors soon

New Delhi: In Karol Bagh market, shoppers walk on roads as street vendors have taken over the pavements. While the vendors claim they are licensed to operate, North Delhi Municipal Corporation says it has issued t e h b a z a a r i s to only 340 people and the rest are operating illegally. 
    Traders say the number of street vendors has increased manifold over the years due to lax enforcement. “Street vendors outnumber the shopkeepers here. It has not only affected out business but also left no space to walk,’’ said Murli Mani, president of Karol Bagh Traders’ Association. 
    Sources say there are 1,000-1,200 t e h b a z a a r i sin this area. And the corporation is yet to draft a policy to regulate street vendors. The vendors’ association, however, claims all the t e h b a z a a r i s are authorized. “Some of us have t e hb a z a a r i licences while the others have applied for them. The corporation has been sitting on this issue for years now,’’ said Devendra Kohli, a street vendor and member of the vendors’ association. 
    The erstwhile MCD had identified 1.3 lakh street vendors and agreed to allot vending sites to them, but the process has not started. Arbind Singh, national coordinator, National Association of Street Vendors of India, said, “There are 1,000-1,200 street vendors in Karol Bagh market where seven roads have been declared hawking zones. But the space for hawkers has been encroached upon by the parking mafia. At some points, the corporation has given out space for parking. What option do the vendors have but to sit on pavements?” 
    Mahinder Nagpal, leader of the house, North Corporation, said, “We have drafted a policy for street vendors and will soon approve it. We will identify new sites for them”. 
    While the corporation claims that a new policy is in place, vendors say they don’t want to move out. “The corporation had allotted new sites to some of us, but these were not in the market area. How will we earn our livelihood if we are removed from the market?’’ said Kohli.

Source: TOI (11 Dec, 2012)

Plan to ease Karol Bagh traffic

Corpn Submits Design Proposal, Wants To Make Market Area Pedestrian Friendly

New Delhi:After dragging its feet on the Karol Bagh market decongestion plan for two years, the corporation has submitted a detailed design proposal to the Delhi government. The Rs 9 crore-project proposes to leave Ajmal Khan Road only for pedestrians and permit only one-way traffic movement in the market. 
    “We have sent the proposal to the Delhi government as it requires major changes in arterial roads. The central verge will be removed and a single carriageway will be constructed with parking space on both sides. The project will not only ease traffic congestion but also solve the parking problem,” said Yogender Chandolia, chairman, standing committee, North Delhi corporation. 
Ground Situation At least 40,000 vehicles enter the area every day, say traffic police. While the available parkings can accommodate about 1,500 vehicles, the market needs to handle between 4,000 and 5,000 vehicles at any given point during peak hours. “Second-hand car dealers, auto repair shops, transporters and car accessory shops add to the huge number of vehicles parked in the market area every day by shopkeepers, shoppers and residents,” said joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyendra Garg. 
    This mismatch has resulted in alarge number of illegally parked vehicles on the main carriageway of various roads, and regular traffic snarls on Ajmal Khan Road and all connecting roads. Encroachment of pavements by tehbazaris has left little space for pedestrians. 
    Sources say the traders have paid close to Rs 80 crore as parking and conversion charges. 
    “Illegal parking is rampant in the market, but the corporation has not taken any action. It took them two years to start the trial of the circulation plan,” said Murli Mani, president of Karol Bagh Market Association. 
Delay in implementation After debating over plans to solve the mess since 2010, traffic police and North Corporation conducted a trial early this year. Five roads were made one way while Ajmal Khan Road was converted into a pedestrian-only zone for March-April. After the successful trial, traffic police had asked the corporation to provide enough parking space near Karol Bagh where visitors can park the car before entering Ajmal Khan Road on foot. 
    “We had asked for road engineering changes so that the scheme can be implemented without constant supervision of traffic by marshals,” said Garg. But in a UTTIPEC governing body meeting in September, it was found that the corporation was yet to take up three off-site parkings and had not demarcated any parking on the road. The consultants for detailed engineering drawings for street design and development of Ajmal Khan Road and all approach roads were also not approved. The chief engineer claimed the detailed proposal would be submitted within three months and implemented within a year. 
    “This project was taken up as a special project of pedestrianization of the area as per the LG’s decision to make Delhi pedestrian friendly. It is for the implementing agency to take the lead in executing such an important project,” said UTTIPEC director Ashok Bhattacharjee. 
Way forward The corporation, however, has no funds for it. “We will ask the Centre to fund the project,” said Chandolia. In the meantime, traffic police will consider identifying some stretches for implementing aRs 600 fine for illegal parking.

Source: TOI (11 Dec, 2012)