New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) No private or public vehicles will be allowed to ply in Connaught Place from 7 pm on December 31 as a large number of people are expected to throng the area to celebrate New Year,
Delhi Police said in an advisory on Tuesday.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) also announced that the exit gates of Rajiv Chowk metro station, located in Connaught Place, will be closed after 9 pm.
Anticipating a massive crowd in Connaught Place and nearby localities on New Year’s Eve, Delhi Police has made special arrangements for crowd management and to regulate heavy pedestrian movement and vehicular congestion.
According to the advisory, traffic restrictions will come into force from 7 pm on December 31 and will remain effective till the conclusion of New Year celebrations. The restrictions will apply to all private and public transport vehicles unless specifically permitted.
No vehicle will be allowed to proceed towards Connaught Place beyond designated points, including roundabouts near Mandi House, Bengali Market, Patel Chowk, Gole Market, GPO and Kasturba Gandhi Road-Ferozeshah Road crossing, Jai Singh Road-Bangla Sahib Lane, Windsor Place roundabout and several other intersections, the advisory said.
Vehicular traffic will not be permitted in the Inner, Middle or Outer Circles of Connaught Place, except for vehicles carrying valid entry passes, it said.
With heavy footfall expected near India Gate as well, vehicular movement may be restricted or diverted at points such as the O-Point, W-Point, MLNP and Sunheri Masjid roundabouts, Rajpath-Rafi Marg, Mathura Road-Purana Qila Road, Sher Shah Road and Zakir Hussain Marg, it added.
The traffic police have suggested alternate routes for north-south and east-west movement, including Ring Road, Mathura Road, Rani Jhansi Marg, Panchkuian Road, Mandir Marg and Mother Teresa Crescent.
Special parking arrangements have been made in the Connaught Place area.
The designated parking locations include Kali Bari Marg, Pt Pant Marg, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, Rakab Ganj Road, Copernicus Marg, Babar Road, Tansen Marg, Windsor Place, Jantar Mantar Road and Raisina Road, among others.
Limited parking will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis, and unauthorised or improper parking will invite towing and prosecution, police warned.
For access to New Delhi Railway Station from the south, commuters have been advised to use specified routes, while entry via Chelmsford Road from Connaught Place will remain prohibited.
The Old Delhi Railway Station will not be affected, police said.
The traffic police have advised people to use public transport as parking near India Gate and Connaught Place is extremely limited. Commuters have also been requested to avoid affected roads, plan journeys in advance and keep sufficient time in hand while travelling to railway stations, ISBTs and the airport.
In a separate advisory, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced that the exit gates of Rajiv Chowk Metro station, located in Connaught Place, will be closed after 9 pm on New Year’s Eve as part of its crowd management and security measures.
The decision has been taken to prevent overcrowding and ensure passenger safety in view of large gatherings expected in and around Connaught Place on January 1, a DMRC official said.
Entry into the station will remain regulated as per security requirements, it added. PTI PTI SSJ PRK SHB SSJ RUK RUK
