Pedestrians at sea in Construction Place

The ongoing construction of subways at Connaught Place that has hit the flow of traffic severely is also taking its toll on pedestrians.

The ongoing construction of subways at Connaught Place (CP) that has hit the flow of traffic severely is also taking its toll on pedestrians.

HT Image

With dug up roads and absence of traffic marshals in the area, pedestrians have to brave speeding vehicles to enter the CP radials.

The subways are being constructed in keeping with the preparations for the Commonwealth Games in October

“Sometimes we have to stand for more than 15-20 minutes at one point to cross the road,” said Smriti Sah, who had come to CP to meet a friend. “Since there are no subways, it becomes all the more difficult. There is always a danger of some car running over you.”

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is to deploy marshals in the area but it hasn’t happened yet.

Traffic police say they cannot deploy a policeman at each and every corner.

“When the issue of subway construction was taken up with the civic agency they had promised to deploy marshals in the area,” said a senior police officer.

NDMC claimed they had already deployed 50 marshals in the area. “We have deployed the requisite number of marshals... if the traffic police wants we can even deploy more men,” said Anand Tiwari, spokesman, NDMC.

Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic) Satyendra Garg said, “At this moment only 20 marshals are available.”

Pedestrians complain construction material lying on the roadside is another problem.

“Once you cross the road, you have to negotiate mounds of sand and stones,” said Neha Aggarwal who had just managed to enter CP after braving the vehicles near Statesman House-Barakhamba Road crossing. Traffic police claim the marshals are never present on duty.

“They are not to be seen anywhere. We get so many complaints from pedestrians,” said a traffic police officer.