Two more Karol Bagh roads to go one-way

The traffic police had identified six roads for a unidirectional flow of traffic.

Two more Karol Bagh roads — Hardhyan Singh Marg and Pyarelal Road — will be made one-way for traffic from today as part of a comprehensive traffic plan to pedestrianise and decongest one of the busiest market places in the Capital.

Two more Karol Bagh roads — Hardhyan Singh Marg and Pyarelal Road — will be made one-way for traffic from today as part of a comprehensive traffic plan to pedestrianise and decongest one of the busiest market places in the Capital. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO (Representative))

The traffic police had identified six roads for a unidirectional flow of traffic. Of these, police were allowing traffic from a single direction on Padam Singh Marg and Tank Road for around a month now. The remaining Saraswati Marg and Gurudwara Road will also be included in the plan by July end, said Rakesh Pawaria, traffic deputy commissioner of police (central zone).

“Since the market is closed on Mondays, we will have a trial run of the new traffic plan on Hardhyan Singh Marg and Pyarelal Road. Signage has already been put up for commuters and we will also deploy additional traffic officials to direct vehicles,” Pawaria said on Sunday.

He explained that on Hardhyan Singh Marg traffic will only be allowed from Ganga Mandir Marg and Guru Ravidas Marg towards Faiz Road. Similarly, on Pyarelal Road traffic from Faiz Road will be directed towards Guru Ravidas Marg.

He said by July end Karol Bagh will have a comprehensive redevelopment plan, which is expected to ease traffic jams in and around the market and also increase footfall.

“The idea is to ease movement of shoppers, traders and residents. We have received an encouraging response for the one-way scheme on Padam Singh Marg and Tank Road. The traffic snarls inside the market has come down and the pedestrianisation of the Ajmal Khan Road is also being taken well by the shoppers,” Pawaria said.

Despite the time lapse, at least 15 traffic officials are stationed inside the market to direct commuters who might not be aware of the new traffic plan.

Tarun Kumar, a trader at the market, said that the traffic officials have conducted meetings with the residents and traders to discuss the new traffic plan and details of how it will be implemented on Monday.

“The plan till now has not caused much problem. Once the entire project is in place, we will be able to see how it affects business,” Kumar said.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation, in partnership with the traffic police, had converted the Ajmal Khan Road into a pedestrian-only lane, redeveloping the once congested market road with dedicated cycle tracks, benches for shoppers and plantation on the sides of the road, from May 1 this year.