I received a mail from Promila Khurana who writes, “I would like to bring to your attention the utter chaos at the Ashram flyover at the Ring Road going towards DND Flyway and onwards.

“During peak office hours the situation is so bad that sometimes it takes half an hour to get to the DND. Traffic from four points meets at the base of the Ashram flyover i.e. from Mathura Road side; the turning under the Ashram Flyover; from Jungpura side and of course the Ashram flyover traffic from Lajpat Nagar side. DTC and private bus operators are continuously honking to get their vehicles to the left side even though it says in bold letters 'Bus Stop Aagey Hai'.

“To add to all this chaos are the eternal sales at the Bata Showroom and CTC Plaza on the Ring Road. There are many cars parked haphazardly by the side of the road and hordes of people are always walking past with huge shopping bags. Will someone please do something to ease this eternal traffic caused by the sales (it is further aggravates during the festive season). Needless to say it is a safety hazard, apart from being a great nuisance to daily commuters.

Promila has raised a valid point. I think cops should send cranes to tow away wrongly parked vehicles and should do something to ease traffic movement there. Another mail I received is from Anuj Pathak who writes, “I noticed that at commercial complex in front of Janakpuri Police Station, DDA has placed no parking boards at almost all nearby places. But some group of people right in front of police station and under/near these boards are taking parking money from people. Common people are paying them because they don't want to create scene or don't want to fight.” If it’s happening right under the nose of the police station, I think cops should take action on it. This is totally illegal. If it’s legal by any norms, etc. then cops should get these boards removed.

Delhi police has taken some nice steps related to hooliganism during holi that drives everybody crazy. The most vulnerable are road users to this once-a-year phenomenon, especially the pedestrians. Just 15 days ahead of holi, children start throwing balloons on colony roads on pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. Sometimes this may prove dangerous to the two-wheeler riders as they might lose balance. I think schoolteachers should take the initiative and preach children not to do such things. Parents are also responsible for this. I think they should be warned by local cops not to let their children do such act.

Actually because of this the notorious elements of the society also take benefit and resort to hooliganism, especially eve teasing. And one feels helpless if caught in such a situation. This time Commissioner of police has taken the right step by directing all police staff particularly those who are on the field duties to step up vigil against sale of illicit liquor as well as other intoxicants or drugs, eve teasing, harassment of people etc.

He has also asked traffic police to intensify drive against drunken driving, triple riding and driving two-wheeler without helmet and over crowding of vehicles. The focus of the Traffic Police will be late evening hours. So be careful while driving on Delhi roads at evening. Police Control Room vans and its staff has also been asked to take cognizance of Holi-related offenses and apprehend the violations of legal provisions.

During the last three days, six people have been arrested and 11 challaned on account of drunken driving. 2265 person were challaned for driving their two-wheelers without helmet. Another 920 persons were challaned when the pillion riders were not wearing the helmet. 1143 persons were challaned for triple riding on two-wheelers. 93 persons were challaned for over crowding in passengers vehicles.

The Commissioner of Police has also requested people to report any hooliganism, eve teasing and other violations of law to the Police Control Room by dialing 100.

People can also send their complaints in writing to the Police Commissioner at Post Box No. 171, G.P.O., New Delhi and through e-mail at delpol@del2.vsnl.net.in.

In order to enlarge the reach of the commuters to lodge complaints against Auto rickshaw drivers, Delhi Traffic Police has launched a new “SMS-based complaint System”. Any person having complaint against Auto driver for refusal, over charging, misbehaviour and harassment can now lodge the complaint through SMS on Phone No.6767. It is a very easy and transparent procedure. For the complaint of refusal, just write “REF” followed by registration number of TSR followed by location and time and just SMS to 6767. Similarly, for overcharging use word “OVC”, for misbehaviour “MIB” and for harassment “HAR”.

According to a press release issued by the Delhi Traffic Police, “In order to discipline Auto Rickshaw drivers, Delhi Traffic Police has been taking very focused and concerted action against them to enforce traffic laws and rules being violated by them. Very frequent complaints are being received against Auto rickshaw drivers about (i) refusal to carry passengers (ii) over charging (iii) misbehaviour while refusing to carry passengers (iv) harassment of the passengers. Delhi Traffic Police has been taking action on these complaints against auto rickshaw drivers by (i) spot prosecution (ii) by sending decoys (iii) by ascertaining the facts from commuters.”

Delhiites can also lodge complaint against auto rickshaw drivers on -:
(i) Round the Clock Helpline Cell on Phone No.23378888.
(ii) Through free complaint cards distributed by Traffic Police.
(iii) By writing a complaint on a piece of paper giving details of registration number of Auto rickshaw, place, time and nature of complaint.
(iv) At the end of the day, all such complaints received through SMS 6767 will be downloaded through Internet and action will be taken against such defaulting auto rickshaw drivers.
(v) Delhi Traffic Police requests all commuters to make full use of this facility and lend a helping hand in bringing discipline amongst auto drivers.

PS: I would request commuters who lodge complaints against auto rickshaw drivers through SMS about their feedback on this new initiative.

I received a fax from K.B. Kapoor, who is himself an engineer and he writes, “I want to bring to your notice some problems faced by the commuters on NH 24, from Delhi to Ghaziabad bye-pass.

“This road was designed as a highway during construction. But after that due to residential colonies coming up on both sides of the road (like Patparganj societies, Ghazipur societies, Noida sector 62 and Indirapuram, etc.), the traffic has increased manifolds during the years. So it is high time now, taking into consideration the growth of traffic here, this road needs to be widened and strengthened. Also at Ghazipur crossing, there is an overwhelming need of a flyover.

“The bridge on this road near Mother Diary is narrow and quite a bottleneck for traffic. On the Yamuna Bridge (near Nizamuddin), the present divider between the left lane (while going from Delhi toward Ghaziabad) is redundant and unnecessarily blocks quite some traffic passage. I think this should be removed.

“The Nizamuddin bridge on Yamuna could also be connected to Nizamuddin Khatta by an over or under-bridge on railway line, so as to relieve Bhairon Road’s congestion especially during trade fair days.”

I think NH 24 should be widened, as there are huge jams on the intersections. Even the divider on the above-mentioned carriageway should be removed. Earlier it used to segregate the fast-moving traffic from slow-moving ones, but now it’s lost its relevance. On the Nizamuddin Bridge connecting Nizamuddin Khatta, I would like to tell you that an underpass from Sarai Kale Khan will connect Nizamuddin East area which will save people from taking a long route for going South.

I received a mail from Nitin Alawadhi who writes, “I would like to address a problem at the Nehru Place terminus. If you are coming from CR Park moving towards Lotus Temple, after the Nehru Place flyover, the first turn to your left goes straight inside Nehru Place. At this left turn, there are at least five mini buses (read RTVs) standing every day blocking traffic going left. Since there is no demarcation on the road for vehicles to park, they stand everywhere till the middle of the road.

“At times you would see cops and the place is all clear but most of the time you face chaos. May I request you to put a word forward to the traffic police if a permanent solution can be worked out to keep the RTVs beyond a point of this juncture where traffic is comparatively less and free flowing.”

I think cops should be permanently deployed there as these RTVs are a menace on Delhi roads. I have seen them plying around Nehru Place and they flout all the rules with impunity.

Meanwhile, I received a call from Dr Raman Kapur, who says, “Last Thursday (March 10), I was travelling on Lala Lajpatrai Marg towards Mathura Road in my car (Chevrolet Optra Regn. No. DL 2C AB 0564). Just when I reached near Nigambodh Ghat, at around 4.30 pm, a Toyota Qualis (DL 3CV 6275) tried to overtake me from the left while there was no space left that side. And in doing so he just banged my car on the front side and damaged it badly.

“On top of it, he didn’t have the courtesy to stop the vehicle. He just waived towards me and sped away. It’s not the question of money as I can make an insurance claim but what is happening to Delhi drivers. Are they going insane? I think he should be fined at least if not for his rash driving but for his bad behaviour. And he didn’t seem to be a driver. He seemed as if he was the owner of the Qualis. Moreover, he just waived towards me and didn’t even care to stop. I don’t know where is Delhi heading to?”

This is true. At least drivers should have the courtesy to stop rather than waive at them and speed away. This is a really bad attitude on his part (Qualis driver) and he should be fined for this behaviour. Moreover overtaking a vehicle from left hand side is in itself a violation of traffic rule.

After drastically faltering in the execution of Dhaula Kuan Grade Separator, Public Works Department of Delhi government is now busy brainstorming on another plan, which is definitely a recipe to disaster on the Ring Road. This time the PWD wants to make bus bays on the Ring Road right below the loop that connects SP Marg with NH8. According to experts, “It’s an open invitation for accident black spot and is totally illegal as it defies all the norms set up by the Indian Roads Congress.”

According to IRC regulation, there should be a weave length of minimum 220 feet between two points where traffic flow is inter-weaves. And the place where PWD wants to make bus bays on the Ring Road at Dhaula Kuan lies right in the middle of this stretch.

According to sources in the Public Works Department, “The PWD officials approached Architect’s Bureau, the company which planned and designed the Dhaula Kuan Grade Separator to make a design for the construction of bus bays on both carriageways of the Ring Road below the main flyover which connects NH8 to SP Marg. However, the planners at Architect’s Bureau refused to do so snubbing the plan and terming it as totally disastrous and technically not feasible.”

Since Architect’s Bureau “officially” refused to carry on the PWD diktat, the department officials again approached them asking to design the bus bays and hand over the design to them “unofficially” so that they could carry on with the construction. Again the officials got a snubbing.

However, when TODAY contacted Architect’s Bureau to enquire about the incident, the officials remained tight-lipped about the incident. According to the PWD source, “It is a blunder which the department is bent on committing. Their only justification for making bus bays at that spot is that it will be convenient for pedestrians.”

PWD wants staircases for pedestrians to come down on both carriageways from the main flyover, which connects NH8 to SP Marg as a pedestrian’s path is already in place on this bridge. It will be convenient for pedestrian movement there.

However the planners at Architect’s Bureau contend that if bus bays are constructed at that spot, it will become an accident black spot as traffic flow is inter-weaving here and criss-crosses at this spot. Making a bus stop here will only lead to accidents on both sides of carriageways as well as congestion on the carriageway. Moreover, it is in gross violation of the IRC regulations.

A traffic police official termed the PWD’s noble plan of constructing bus bays for pedestrian’s convenience as “whimsical” adding, “Had the PWD executed the construction of the Dhaula Kuan Grade Separator according to the original design and plan, this problem wouldn’t have arisen altogether.”