No pass, no entry: CP off-limitsfor most cars on New Year’s Eve

Connaught Place will restrict vehicle access on New Year’s Eve, allowing only 3,000 with valid passes. Extensive traffic diversions will be in place.

Connaught Place will remain out of bound for all private and commercial vehicles without valid passes on New Year’s Eve and the following day, Delhi Police said on Tuesday in an advisory detailing extensive restrictions for central Delhi.

Cops at CP amid security arrangements on Tuesday. (RAJ K RAJ /HT Photo)

From 7 pm onwards on Wednesday till the end of Thursday, in view of large turnout of people in and around the heart of the city to celebrate New Year’s Eve, only the 3,000 that have valid entry passes issued by the Delhi Traffic Police will be allowed into CP, senior traffic police officers said.

“Limited parking space will be available near Connaught Place on a first come first serve basis,” deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi Traffic Range) Rajiv Rawal added in the advisory.

Complete restrictions for vehicles may also be imposed at India Gate Circle (C-Hexagon) should there be heavy footfall at India Gate at the time, it said. Nearly 700 traffic personnel will be deployed in and around the areas for traffic management.

For CP, curbs will be placed on all roads leading to it: Mandi House, Bengali Market, Gole Market, GPO roundabouts, Windsor Place, and Patel Chowk roundabouts; north foot of Ranjit Singh flyover; Minto Road-Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg crossing, RK Ashram Marg-Chitragupta Marg; Kasturba Gandhi (KG) Marg-Ferozshah Road crossing; Chelmsford Road near Munje Chowk (New Delhi railway station), and Jai Singh Road-Bangla Sahib Lane.

“In view of the large gathering expected at Delhi Zoo resulting in congestion on Mathura Road, we urge motorists to avoid Bhairon Road-Mathura Road between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Pragati Maidan,” the DCP also said.

Entry to the New Delhi railway station from CP via Chelmsford Road will be closed, it said, adding that the Old Delhi railway station will not be affected due to the restrictions and diversions.

Traffic diversions will also be in place on roads around south Delhi’s Select City Mall, DLF Avenue Mall, and MGF Metropolitan Mall from 2 pm onwards on Wednesday and on Thursday.

Commuters should avoid Press Enclave Road and internal roads of Saket and Pushp Vihar, a separate advisory said, adding that the Sheikh Sarai traffic signal on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Asian Market traffic signal on Mehrauli-Badarpur (MB) Road and PTS Malviya Nagar signal on Sri Aurobindo Marg will be the diversion points.

“All median cuts from Sheikh Sarai to Hauz Rani will remain closed,” said DCP (south range traffic) Shashank Jaiswal in the advisory. Traffic movement on Rani Jhansi Road and adjoining areas is likely to be affected because of a large number of devotees expected to visit Jhandewalan temple near Karol Bagh on the two days. DBG Road and New Rohtak Road will be the alternate routes.

Parking arrangements and possible curbs in CP

As per the Delhi Police advisory, motorists intending to visit CP can park their vehicles near Gol Dak Khana on Kali Bari Marg, Pandit Pant Marg and Bhai Veer Singh Marg; near Patel Chowk on Rakab Ganj Road behind Akashvani Bhawan (AIR); near Mandi House on Copernicus Marg up to Baroda House; near Minto Road on DDU Marg and Press Road area; near Panchkuian Road on RK Ashram Marg; Chitragupta Road and Basant Road towards Paharganj; near KG Marg-Ferozshah Road crossing on Copernicus Lane as well as KG Marg towards C-Hexagon; on Babar Road and Tansen Marg near Bengali Market roundabout; near Windsor Place on Rajendra Prasad Road and Raisina Road; near Gole Market at Peshwa Road; THE service road along Bhai Veer Singh Marg and RK Ashram Road; and on Jantar Mantar Road and Raisina Road near Buta Singh roundabout.

In case restrictions are imposed for vehicles on C-Hexagon on New Year’s Eve, traffic diversions will be in from Q-Point, W-Point, Mathura Road-Purana Quila Road, Mathura Road-Purana Quila Road, Mathura Road-Sher Shah Road, KG Marg-Ferozshah Road, Subramania Bhari Marg-Zakir Hussain Marg, Subramania Bharti Marg-Pandara Road Marg Rajpath Rafi Marg, and the roundabout of Moti Lal Nehru Marg, Sunehri Masjid, Janpath, Windsor Place, Rajendra Prasad Road-Janpath Marg, and Mandi House.

As the traffic restrictions around CP will impact the routes leading to New Delhi railway station, the traffic police have suggested some alternate routes for passengers. People intending to reach the railway station may use routes such as Ram Manohar Lohiya Park Street to Mandir Marg to Rani Jhansi Road to Jhandewalan to Desh Bandhu Gupta (DBG) Road. They can also use the GPO roundabout to Kali Bari Marg to Mandir Marg to Rani Jhansi Road to Jhandewalan roundabout to DBG Road to reach the station. Another route for them will be via Windsor Place roundabout to Ferozeshah Road to Mandi House to ‘W’ Point and further to ‘A’ Point towards DDU Marg and Bhav Bhuti Marg.

For those travelling between north and south Delhi, the traffic police have advised the use of the Ring Road and other alternate routes via Delhi Gate-ITO and Mathura Road, or via Rani Jhansi Marg, Rani Jhansi Marg, Panchkuian Road, Mandir Marg, Park Street, Mother Teresa Crescent Road or via Rani Jhansi Marg, Panchkuian Road, Hanuman Murti to the Ring Road. The suggested route for east-west movement is the Ring Road, Bhairon Road, Mathura Road, Subramaniam Bharti Marg, Mother Teresa Crescent, Ram Manohar Lohia hospital roundabout, Park Street and Shankar Road.

“Heavy vehicles and DTC/Cluster buses will not be allowed to ply on both carriageways of Press Enclave Road and towards Pushp Vihar from MB Road and Asian Market traffic signals. Traffic coming from Chirag Delhi, intending to go to Qutub Minar are advised to take route via Khanpur T-Point, MB Road and Lado Sarai T-Point. Similarly, traffic coming from IIT Flyover, intending to go to Sangam Vihar and Sainik Farm are advised to take route via TB Hospital Light, Lado Sarai traffic signal, MB Road, Chirag Delhi and Khanpur traffic signal,” said DCP Jaiswal in a separate advisory.