The Delhi Traffic Police have recommended that interstate buses headed to North India from the Kashmere Gate Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) be diverted onto the newly opened Dehradun Expressway and Eastern Peripheral Expressway to alleviate chronic congestion on Ring Road and its adjoining corridors in north Delhi.
In a communication sent Thursday to the Delhi government’s transport department and the Public Works Department (PWD), deputy commissioner of police (Traffic) Nishant Gupta proposed rerouting buses bound for states such as Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir away from the current path along Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, and National Highway (NH)-44.
This existing route, officials said, creates severe bottlenecks at locations like Chandgi Ram Akhara and GT Karnal Bypass. Congestion often spills over to adjoining areas such as Delhi University’s north campus, and Azadpur Mandi, officials said.
{{/usCountry}}This existing route, officials said, creates severe bottlenecks at locations like Chandgi Ram Akhara and GT Karnal Bypass. Congestion often spills over to adjoining areas such as Delhi University’s north campus, and Azadpur Mandi, officials said.
{{/usCountry}}“These congestion points lead to prolonged idling of vehicles, resulting in a harmful impact on public health and commuter safety. The movement of interstate buses on the route also delays other motorists,” Gupta said.
Under the new plan, buses would exit Kashmere Gate ISBT onto Ring Road, proceed via GT Road and Shastri Park in northeast Delhi, then access the Dehradun Expressway. From there, they would connect to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) before merging with NH-44 near Sonepat.
This expressway-based route is designed for long-haul travel and is already used by many motorists to avoid city traffic, a senior traffic police officer said.
Gupta said the recommendation followed a representation from a road safety-related NGO Guru Hanuman Society of Bharat, which studied both the existing and proposed routes and urged authorities to reconsider the current alignment for interstate buses.
Urban transport expert Atul Ranjeet Kumar, who is also the president of Guru Hanuman Society of Bharat NGO, supported the proposal, noting that shifting intercity bus traffic out of the city core is an effective way to reduce congestion.
A senior transport department official said that the department is not fully aware of the plan and will review the suggestions and act accordingly if the routes are feasible.