Barricades to come up at 48 spots across Delhi at night

Police said this being done to crack down on rash driving, drink-driving and people driving on the wrong side of the road

The Delhi Traffic Police has identified 48 accident-prone spots where they aim to crack down on rash driving, drink-driving and people driving on the wrong side of the road, senior officers aware of the matter said.

Commuters said the barricading added to their woes due to the increased travel time. (HT Archive)

They said a special enforcement drive is being carried out by integrated teams of traffic personnel, police control room (PCR), local police, and the transport department. As part of the drive, authorities have started placing barricades on some stretches at night.

The teams will be deployed at the six traffic ranges — Central, North, East, West, New Delhi, and South — where a traffic inspector will supervise them.

Surender Singh Yadav, the special commissioner of police (traffic), said the traffic deputy commissioners have been asked to coordinate with the PCRs to provide adequate force to carry out checking. Officials said the drive started on July 23 and will continue at least till December.

The 48 accident-prone spots include Ring Road near Dhaula Kuan, Ashram Chowk, ITO flyover, Hyatt hotel, Shanti Van, Mayapuri Chowk, Britannia Chowk, Shalimar Bagh, and Outer Ring Road, Bhalswa, Timarpur, Jahangirpuri, and Madhuban Chowk, Ghazipur, Mukarba Chowk, Akshardham, and Mahipalpur, among others.

“The traffic personnel will essentially use body-worn cameras and preserve the recordings. In case of suspected drink driving, the driver must be examined immediately at the nearest government hospital,” he added.

A senior official of the transport department said they have assigned staff to join the checking. “We will provide full support to this special drive initiated by the traffic police,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Commuters, however, said the barricading added to their woes due to the increased travel time.

Akash Kumar, who works in Connaught Place and lives in Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, said, “The barricades on these roads have increased my travel time by at least 30 minutes.”