Traffic relief plan hits roadblock at Mahipalpur, other fixes delayed

As of now, an FOB at the location does not appear feasible, said a traffic review meeting. However, a joint field survey will be conducted with PWD to assess its viability

A proposed foot overbridge at Mahipalpur, one of Delhi’s most notorious choke points near the airport corridor, is unlikely to come up anytime soon, with civic agencies saying it “does not appear feasible” for now. The issue came up at a review meeting on Friday, a month after the Delhi Police flagged 233 locations across the city that trigger daily traffic snarls due to poor pedestrian facilities and faulty road engineering.

The PWD was directed to conduct a joint survey with traffic police to reassess the feasibility of the Mahipalpur foot overbridge. (HT Archive)

According to officials, most of the issues raised have been resolved, but none of those pertaining to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) have been addressed. These pending tasks relate to engineering interventions and pedestrian safety.

Of the 233 congestion points, 22 fall under the DTC, 14 under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), 29 with the MCD, 12 with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and a majority — 123 — under the jurisdiction of the public works department (PWD).

At Friday’s meeting, the PWD was directed to conduct a joint survey with traffic police to reassess the feasibility of the Mahipalpur foot overbridge. “As of now, an FOB at the location does not appear feasible. However, a joint field survey will be conducted with PWD to assess its viability and the findings will be submitted for further discussion,” the minutes of the meeting noted.

Another pending task flagged was the absence of zebra crossings at sites where red light violation detection (RLVD) cameras are installed. Officials said the lack of clearly visible crossings was hampering e-challan enforcement. “PWD has informed that road markings are undertaken annually in the run-up to Independence Day and requested that the list of RLVD camera locations be shared with them to facilitate timely action. PWD has assured that once the list of RLVD camera sites is shared, zebra crossings will be marked on priority,” an officer aware of the matter said.

The minutes also recorded that nearly 500 potholes have been filled since the last review, with about 10% still pending. PWD has promised to complete these shortly.

PWD was further asked to expedite work on the Dasghara–Inderpuri road stretch, where progress has been held up due to pending clearance from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) over pipeline work. Traffic police stressed that early coordination was necessary to avoid further delays.

While officials said the city’s waterlogging response has improved, new vulnerable spots were identified near Jahangirpuri Metro station, Munirka bus stop, and Rani Jhansi Road in Tis Hazari. PWD has been asked to probe the issues at these locations and take remedial action.

The deployment of mobile pump vans also came under scrutiny. “The response time has improved but monitoring and timely deployment need to be strengthened,” another official said.

The Delhi Police also reminded agencies that 12 critical road corridors flagged for urgent engineering interventions remain under review. Joint inspections have been conducted and a final report is expected soon, after which PWD will initiate corrective works.

An update on the installation of road signage across major corridors is also pending. PWD has assured that a progress report will be shared within 10 days.

Friday’s meeting concluded with directions to all agencies to submit updated status reports. The Additional CP (traffic) has been tasked with monitoring progress in both zones and pursuing delays with the respective departments.

A senior official summed up the discussions: “We are seeing progress, but gaps remain, especially in coordination. Unless all agencies, including MCD and DTC, actively participate, many of these congestion points will continue to trouble commuters.”

With traffic snarls costing the city both time and productivity, civic bodies are under pressure to deliver results before the festive season, when vehicular volumes typically peak.