NEW DELHI: With beautification and pedestrianisation of Chandni Chowk inching towards completion, the Delhi Traffic Police and transport department have initiated an exercise to formally ban vehicle movement on the 1.3 km-long main road for 12 hours from 9 am to 9 pm.
According to the officials privy to the matter, traffic police has sent a draft notification for restriction on vehicles to the transport department and the same will be notified once the date for the commission of the project is finalised.
The issue was discussed in the last meeting of the nodal officers of agencies associated with the project in December. Several other important decisions were also taken in the meeting. The 12-hour restriction on motorised vehicles will be extended to the lanes connecting the heritage market with other parts of the old Delhi by barricading the entry points.
“It has been decided that the joint commissioner of police (JCP) and nodal officer of DTP will ensure strengthening of traffic enforcement in the entire area to regulate entry or exit of vehicles even during the night to prevent damage to bollards and other structures by rash drivers,” said an official requesting anonymity.
The redevelopment work, started in December 2018, was supposed to be completed by March 2020. However, the construction ban imposed by the Supreme Court in November 2019 and outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 have forced the SRDC to revise the deadline to March 2021.
The installation of street lights and close circuit television (CCTV) cameras is likely to be done by end of this month as their supply is delayed because of transportation constraints caused by ongoing farmers agitation at the borders, informed the official.
“Besides increasing police patrolling to prevent damage and encroachment, it has been decided that concerned nodal officers and representatives of market or traders association will finalise modalities to regulate loading and unloading of goods,” said an official.