Delhi's Lajpat Nagar market commuters struggle for space as vehicles are parked randomly on the road

Vehicles parked haphazardly on the roads bordering the Lajpat Nagar main market and vendors encroaching road space not only impede the movement of commuters but also hurt businesses
Snarls near the Lajpat Nagar Market are largely blamed on vehicle owners who park randomly on the road, leaving little or no space for commuters to pass (Photo | Praveen Negi)
Snarls near the Lajpat Nagar Market are largely blamed on vehicle owners who park randomly on the road, leaving little or no space for commuters to pass (Photo | Praveen Negi)

NEW DELHI: It is one of the busiest markets in the capital, with a footfall of more than 2,000 every day. However, as often happens with being the busiest, Lajpat Nagar market is also one of the most chaotic around.

If the market area is marked by chaos and congestion, the roads bordering it are no better. And, it’s the vehicle owners who are largely blamed for the disorderly traffic and the routine struggle for commuting space, as they park randomly on the road leaving little or no space for shoppers and commuters to navigate.

With the move to make the busy Karol Bagh market pedestrian-only seen to be yielding the desired benefits, there’s a growing chorus for a similar arrangement at Lajpat Nagar market. From residents, shoppers to the traders’ association, all have voiced the need to make the market vehicle-free. They argue that a proposal in this regard should be taken up on priority by the civic body concerned.

For long, the authorities concerned have been deliberating on measures to ease and streamline the traffic situation in the market. These include enforcing a restriction on the entry of vehicles to the market. However, none of the plans or proposals has been put into action as yet. Sources said the measures proposed could not be implemented due to lack of a designated parking space in the vicinity and opposition by a section of traders and shoppers.

Recently, the traders’ body enforced a ban on the plying of cycle rickshaws in the market in a bid to enable smooth vehicular movement. There’s a growing sense that civic authorities and planners should take this forward and boost infrastructure to enable unfettered movement of commuters and shoppers at Lajpat Nagar market.

Lane scenario

Two main roads running parallel — Veer Savarkar Road and Feroz Gandhi Road — bear the brunt of the commuter crowd towards the market. Both these stretches are linked to Ring Road and Lala Lajpat Rai Road through bylanes such as Market Marg road. Snarls are a routine affair at Lajpat Nagar Market. Apart from four-wheelers, the roads are also encroached by auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws. While roadside space allotted by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for parking is largely dominated by both visitors and shopkeepers, what remains of the road space is encroached on by vendors, mostly selling street food and other items.

What traders say

Vaibhav Wadha, a shop owner, said snarls are something that pedestrians and vehicle owners have to deal with on a regular basis at Lajpat Nagar market. “Depending on where a shop is located, an owner has to pay a minimum of Rs 1.5 lakh as tax for parking to the civic body. However, I don’t see much sense in it as visibility of showrooms remains an issue for many shop owners here,” Wadha, who has been running his shop for 46 years, said. While lauding the move to make Ajmal Khan Road vehicle-free, some traders said a similar move may not work “The main market is pedestrian-only.

However, as far as the central market is concerned, I don’t think to make it vehicle-free will fetch good results. If vehicles aren’t allowed, the footfall would go down. Making it a parking-free zone would, perhaps, make more sense. Let there be a designated entry and exit space for vehicles. We are also open to underground or multi-level parking,” Kashish Arora, a saree shop owner, said.

Current parking scenario

A multi-level parking project has been initiated by South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and it is likely to be completed by January, next year. The facility, once completed, would be able to accommodate 220 cars. Presently, there’s only a single parking lot on a piece of land handed over by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to the SDMC at Lajpat Nagar Metro station in December 2018. The parking space can accommodate 150 vehicles.

“Since we don’t have enough land, we are borrowing from others to develop parking spaces. A project to facilitate parking of 800 more vehicles has been initiated. Then, there’s valet parking and free e-rickshaw facility. There’s space enough to park 1,350 vehicles,” Prem Shankar Jha, Deputy Commissioner, SDMC, said.“Just a lone multi-level parking project isn’t enough. They (SDMC) need to bring up more such facilities in less time,” Ashwani Marwah, Joint Secretary, Traders Association, Lajpat Nagar, said.

What planners say

AGK Menon, city-based urban planner, said proper traffic studies need to be done before initiating any pedestrian-only project. “Pedestrainization is a great step, as it helps control traffic and reduce pollution. But it might not work in every situation. It needs to be seen that businesses are not affected and there’s enough room for the movement of ambulance and fire trucks during emergencies. All these factors need to be considered,” Menon said. Tomorrow: Sadar Bazar

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