New Delhi: Buses halting on an already crowded road could be adding precious minutes to a ride to Old Delhi. The approaching festive and wedding seasons have brought shoppers and goods carriers to the wholesale markets, and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) Marg is feeling the traffic squeeze.Delhi Traffic Police has studied the stretch and is exploring ways to tackle congestion not just during the festive rush but throughout the year.On any afternoon, the arterial road connecting Ring Road, Old Delhi Railway Station and Chandni Chowk resembles a slow-moving maze. Goods carriers, private cars, buses, e-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws jostle for limited space, while handcarts and trolley trucks inch towards wholesale markets.Roadside parking, loading and unloading, and passenger pick-ups further eat into the carriageway, leaving little room for traffic to move freely.Buses are among the key concerns identified by traffic police. Around 1,550 Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses ply the Old Delhi Railway Station (ODRS) route, and halting at designated points can take around 10 minutes per bus to complete entry, according to officials. On a road with limited width, these stops can further restrict the space available to other vehicles.K Ramesh, DCP (traffic), Central Range, said a study was needed to identify the key causes of congestion and work out solutions ahead of the festive season. “Bus halts are a major concern, as the road is not wide enough to accommodate them,” he said. Traffic police are coordinating with the MCD deputy commissioner to explore temporary parking space for buses at National Club parking. Local police and traffic officials inspected the stretch on Tuesday.The problem, however, extends beyond bus stops. The survey revealed that Old Delhi Railway Station sees a steady stream of passengers and all kinds of vehicles stopping near its approaches. Unauthorised parking, roadside waiting and unregulated pick-ups and drop-offs narrow the usable road space.The adjoining wholesale markets have handcart pullers. These carts move slowly and halt while goods are loaded, unloaded or temporarily stored on the roadside. Encroachments also force pedestrians onto the carriageway. Hamilton Road is another pressure point, with its narrow carriageway, heavy pedestrian movement and commercial activity competing for the limited space.SPM Marg is part of a wider corridor connecting Kashmere Gate ISBT, Lothian Road, Pul Duffrin, Pul Mithai, Zorawar Singh Marg and Hamilton Road before returning to Kashmere Gate ISBT. Traffic spilling over from Netaji Subhash Marg and Mori Gate adds to the pressure. A bottleneck at one point can quickly trigger queues on adjoining roads.In the wake of these identified problems, traffic police have stepped up enforcement against parking violations, wrong-side driving and roadside obstructions. Merchants, shopkeepers and market associations are being sensitised against storing goods on the roads. Motorcycle and crane patrols, wheel clamping and the removal of encroachments are also being done.In the last five days, police have issued 1,917 challans for improper parking and 171 for wrong-side driving. They also towed 206 vehicles, wheel-clamped 662 vehicles, removed 127 rehris and patris, and seized 15 vehicles and three other articles.
