Rajinder Arora mailed me telling the pathetic state of affairs at Janpath Lane. He says,“As a regular reader of TODAY, I have often read your column about the pathetic state of traffic in our city and equally callous and indifferent attitude of motorists and vehicle owners - large number of whom happen to be educated people. Through your column I wish you drew the attention of authorities towards a hellhole called the entry to Janpath Lane. You may not be very familiar with this not-so-famous road/lane that runs parallel to main Janpath from behind the Indian Oil Building right up to the end of Janpath Hotel (rear exit). The point of entry I am mentioning here is from next to the Yatri Niwas Hotel on Ashok Road roundabout.

“As you enter Janpath Lane at this point, on your left are six shops of the local shopping centre, facing which is a Mother Dairy booth, next to which is (so claimed) authorised taxi stand of yellow top taxis. This is a point of entry for all those working at Hotel Asian International, Janpath Hotel, Thapar House, part of Kerala House and almost entire work force of Imperial Hotel.

“This entry point has become a free parking lot for all the DLY and DLZ cars of the surrounding areas, Auto's whose drivers find it an easy niche to have their cuppa, white ambassador cars of the various officials of government of India - whose drivers come here for their brunch or a nap. Unmindful of the vehicles that have to cross this stretch - all these vehicles park themselves on both sides virtually leaving just enough space for one car to pass at a time. The trucks of cold-drink companies, bottled water dispensers and tempo loads of vegetables and groceries throw in their lot too, to add up to the chaos.

“The shops here have extended their wares on the road upto 6-8 feet; while the pan wallah, the barber, the newspaper stand, the ice cream cart and the even a roadside bone doctor-cum-masseur have appropriated their spaces. On the other side where the Lane meets the Ashok Road, a row of Auto Rickshaws comfortably park themselves at the bend making that turning very dangerous and a blocking point.

“This Lane, at its farthest end would not be more than 500 meters from the head-quarters of NDMC and the main Parliament Police Station and one wonders - do all these officers who pass this place day-after-day go by here blind-folded. The worst is when one or more PCR vehicles also come in and park themselves here for tea break; as if throwing their weight with the rogues around.

“P.S. The other claim-to-fame this lane has is that of being the vantage point from where an old-lady was witness to the barbaric Tandoor Kand.”

It’s a multi-layered problem. Since it’s a service lane so hotel guys will use it. You can’t stop them. Then the taxi drivers find a nice haven to park their vehicles, as there is no halting space for them. The halt and go policy will only come into force once the new taxi policy comes in. Since there are so many vehicles parked on that lane, tea shops, etc are doing a brisk business. Now role of local cops and NDMC officials, too come into play here. They get their cut from these small shops on pavements. As far as traffic police is concerned, they are too busy managing the traffic of the main arterial roads of Connaught Place. Vehicle population has grown by leaps and bounds; I don’t know what will happen in the next six years. It will only make the condition worse. The only thing that we can do is adjust to the conditions. To tell you frankly I have to sometimes struggle to enter my own house. There’s an office in my basement and the bikes and scooters of those employees block are parked in such a way that they block the whole entry. One can do little about them. I can agree that one struggles to find a parking space for cars, but for bikes, there is ample of space provided around my lane. But it’s a matter of convenience for these people and they want their bikes parked right in front of the gate. It’s just the matter of proper civic sense, but some ain’t have them.