Metro stations to get auto parking space

Busy metro stations to be built in phase 3 may have dedicated ‘halt-and-go’ parking facilities for auto-rickshaws in the station premises. Subhendu Ray reports.

Busy metro stations to be built in phase 3 may have dedicated ‘halt-and-go’ parking facilities for auto-rickshaws in the station premises.

The Delhi Police approached the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday to provide parking facilities for auto-rickshaws in the premises so that commuters, especially women, do not have to come out to catch a vehicle to their destinations.

Women commuters feel unsafe to come out of metro stations in the evening and look for auto-rickshaws.

A dedicated auto stand inside the station premises would provide better and safer last-mile connectivity to women commuters, said a traffic police officer.

“(Today) we have discussed the matter with DMRC and will soon formally write to them,” said Anil Shukla, additional commissioner of police (traffic). “We are also exploring if such facilities can be put in place in busy existing metro stations.”

“We will provide such facilities in metro stations to be built in phase 3 wherever land is available,” said Mangu Singh, managing director, DMRC.

He said the stations are already being built as per the guidelines of Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC).

“Halt-and-go parking facilities inside metro station premises would not only resolve the last-mile connectivity issues, but also decongest roads near metro stations,” said a traffic police officer.