NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is considering making the inner circle of Delhi’s iconic Connaught Place (CP) vehicle free, with the civic body seeking public suggestions on the timings and activities that could be introduced in the commercial hub during the proposed no-vehicle hours.
Taking to social media on Thursday, NDMC chairman Manoj Dwivedi asked people whether the inner circle could be made free of vehicles to allow pedestrians to walk around the area freely, similar to pedestrianised streets and central areas in several foreign cities.
The chairman also sought suggestions on whether the initiative should operate throughout the day or during specific hours. Among the options suggested were 6 pm to midnight during summers and 11 am to 4 pm during winters. The council is also considering different timings for weekends.
Dwivedi also sought public suggestions on the kind of activities that could be organised at Central Park and the inner circle during the proposed no-vehicle slots.
However, the proposal is at the consultation stage, and no final decision on implementation or timings has been announced yet. The move comes as the civic body is also looking to improve facilities for people spending longer hours in Connaught Place. In a separate post on X, Dwivedi said 11 public toilets in CP would have their timings extended up to midnight from September 4, as people tend to stay in the area till late.
He also said more public toilets would be brought under the extended-hours arrangement in due course. A list shared by NDMC identifies 11 toilet facilities across the inner and outer circles and adjoining roads, including locations near Central Park, Super Bazar parking, ECE House and Panchkuian Road.
Reacting to the proposal, the New Delhi Market Association opposed the move, saying the market was already designed to facilitate pedestrian movement and that restricting vehicles could affect businesses.
Responding to a post on X by Dwivedi seeking public views on making the inner circle vehicle-free for fixed hours, the association said there was “absolutely no question” of such a move. “There is absolutely no question of making CP inner circle vehicle-free, as the market is already well designed for enough pedestrian movement,” it said.
A member of the association also said that an earlier attempt to make the inner circle vehicle-free had failed. The association urged the authorities to focus on removing illegal hawkers and vehicles parked in violation of rules.
