LG okays ‘walk plans’ for areas around 6 Metro stations in city

The plans that were approved were INA market, ITO junction, Hauz Khas-IIT Delhi Metro station, both campuses of Delhi University, and Kamla Nagar and Lajpat Nagar markets.

To make city roads pedestrian-friendly, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is preparing “walk plans” for areas around Metro stations. The Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), chaired by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, approved six walk plans on Thursday to be implemented by the civic agencies.

An aerial view of a Delhi Metro train running on a track over the Ring Road. (PTI Photo)

The plans that were approved were INA market, ITO junction, Hauz Khas-IIT Delhi Metro station, both campuses of Delhi University, and Kamla Nagar and Lajpat Nagar markets.

DDA officials said the six areas were taken up on account of their high pedestrian movement.

“These plans aim at improving walking infrastructure customized to specific needs of the respective areas,” Baijal later tweeted.

A senior DDA official, on condition of anonymity, said, “The walk plans include dedicated pavements for pedestrian, cycle lanes and street furniture, among other amenities. The idea is to provide pedestrians hassle-free access to Metro stations. The plan will be implemented in a 500m radius of the six Metro stations by the civic agencies. We consulted with traffic police while drawing up these plans.”

The DDA plans to make 27 such walk plans, of which 15 have been finalised (including the six approved on Thursday).

The plans are part of the walkability policy, which was approved in 2019, and focuses on integrating walkability into various policies and projects in the national capital, to make streets more pedestrian-friendly. htc