As a part of the Centre’s Smart City project, the inner and middle circles of Delhi’s Connaught Place will be made traffic -free for three months beginning from February.
The literal and figurative heart of Delhi built by Edwin Lutyens in 1933; the destination which people fix to meet to plan their subsequent departures; the circular structure reigning on the map; the very famous ‘CP’shall not be the same anymore starting February.
The middle and inner circles of the Delhi arena have been proposed as no-vehicle zones by the Ministry of Urban Development. The move comes as a fragment of the experimental project of Smart City coined to commence next month for a period of three months. A pilot endeavour proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June last year, Smart City’s primary objective revolves around a holistic urban development of cities. As a part of Phase 1, 20 cities have been selected to commence the project.
The proposal for barring traffic from these areas is to introduce and propagate the idea of ‘pedestrianisation,’ a step towards embellishing the heritage structures located in the Delhi areas. The concept seeks to enhance the outlook of the location; canvassing around the potentials of landscaping, the development of water bodies, public plazas, side walk cafes, sound shows and street festivals. A favourable outcome of this initiative is to gain inputs about the traffic condition and assimilate the experiences of shop owners and the customers. Zooming in on the functional aspect of it, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu plans to facilitate the creation of a vehicle-free area through the introduction of ‘park and ride’ services. These will be located at Shivaji Stadium. Baba Kharak Singh Marg, and Palika Parking; constituting a total parking capacity of 3,172 vehicles, a number which is currently under-utilised. The usage of cycles and battery-operated vehicles will be encouraged at the ‘park and ride’ locations to smooth over the inconveniences in terms of transportation to the business district by those who use public as well as personal modes of conveyance.
By restricting the parking zones in Connaught Place, space made available will be used to facilitate the implementation of an integrated and a wholesome hub for the visitors.The Union Minister cites the idea of a “congestion-free, accident-free, and crime-free experience to visitors” as the driving motive behind the ban on vehicles in the region.
With inputs from: The Indian Express
Image Credits: Express Archive
Saumya Kalia
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