After Gurgaon, it is Delhi’s turn to go car-free. On October 22, when Delhiites will celebrate Dussehra, vehicles will go off a congested Delhi road with the government planning to turn it into a Car-Free Day to tackle congestion and pollution.
Delhi’s Transport Minister Gopal Rai said at a conference here on Tuesday that the government would soon decide on the exact stretch which will go car-free. “We are looking at the road from Red Fort to India Gate, but it has to be finalised by all agencies concerned,” said Mr. Rai. Mr. Rai said his department will ensure that no car is allowed on the identified stretch. The government will also appeal to citizens to not use their vehicles once a month, he added.
A coordination committee will be formed to chalk out the plan, for which the government is inviting suggestions from the public as well. Mr. Rai said the government would make sure the identified stretch remains free of vehicles on that day.
In neighbouring Haryana, Gurgaon observed Car-Free Day today on four stretches which evoked mixed response from the residents. Though there were fewer cars on the roads, traffic jams were seen on two of the four corridors during the morning rush hour.
Commuters chose public transport and cycles to go to work in the morning, giving the Millennium City’s roads an unusual look. Among those who cycled to work were Commissioner of Police Navdeep Virk, Joint Commissioner of Police Bharti Arora and the Chief Executive Officers of over a dozen corporate houses.
One route to be car-free in Capital on October 22
A busy stretch in the heart of the city will go car-free on October 22, the Delhi Government decided on Tuesday when it announced a slew of measures to reduce traffic congestion.
At a conference on congestion and its environmental impact, Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said one route would be closed to vehicles to observe ‘Car Free Day’. Tuesday saw neighbouring Gurgaon observe ‘World Car Free Day’ from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Mr. Rai said: “We are looking at making the route from Red Fort to India Gate car-free on October 22. The government will ensure that there is no entry for vehicles on that day.”
He added that a coordination committee would be formed soon to finalise the campaign. Sources said the route may change as October 22 is Dussehra and visitors flock to watch the ram leela around the Red Fort.
Apart from that, a panel of experts gave their opinions on how to reduce pollution in the city. Vehicular traffic and pollution emanating from it is one of the major causes of air pollution. With the number of vehicles on Delhi roads increasing every day, the government has decided to encourage public transport.
The government will launch a campaign to make Delhiites aware about congestion and the need to make the city pollution-free, said Mr. Rai. He also directed the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) to bring all taxis and auto-rickshaws within its app-based booking service ‘Poocho’.
“The Transport Department will soon launch the app service for all autos and taxis,” said Mr. Rai.
He directed the department to set up more PUC centres and told the DTC to solve the problem of frequent breakdowns.
