NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have launched a 100-day action plan aimed at improving traffic management across the national capital, creating a sense of urgency among all stakeholders, and reducing road accidents.
According to sources, the plan’s objectives—implemented on Saturday—are to reduce traffic congestion, enhance compliance among both vehicle operators and pedestrians, minimize road accidents, and remove encroachments through coordinated inter-agency efforts.
A senior police official stated that the department has outlined 25 key measures to achieve these goals. These measures include relocating bus stands to more appropriate locations, repairing and resurfacing roads, refreshing road markings, and installing proper signages and zebra crossings. The plan also involves fixing drainage systems to address potholes and water leakages, removing or relocating garbage dumps and unauthorised dumping yards, and ensuring the timely completion of civil works by civic agencies.
Furthermore, the action plan covers the opening and closing of road cuts, better management of weekly bazaars, and the allocation of designated vending zones by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Other steps include ensuring the proper utilization of underpasses and foot over bridges and, where necessary, shifting or removing religious structures that obstruct roads or the central verge.
The plan also recommends integrating traffic rules and regulations into the school curriculum. Additional actions involve installing height barriers, implementing bollard lane discipline systems, placing grills along the central verge, regularly pruning trees and shrubs that block visibility, and creating designated parking spaces for taxis.
The official added that Delhi Police will work closely with other relevant agencies to implement the plan successfully. The primary aim is to foster urgency among all stakeholders so that visible improvements in road orderliness and safety can be achieved throughout Delhi.
However, officials acknowledged several challenges in implementing the plan. These include issues stemming from defective road design, improper placement of bus stands and night shelters, stray cattle obstructing traffic, and the lack of a well-maintained central verge. Additional challenges include unsafe roads riddled with potholes and obstructions, insufficient facilities for pedestrian crossings, inadequate signages, and generally indisciplined road users.
Officials said, despite these challenges, the comprehensive measures will significantly improve city’s traffic conditions and enhance public safety.