The Hindu : New Delhi News : Elaborate bandobast to deal with rush of visitors at Fair

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 13, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Elaborate bandobast to deal with rush of visitors at Fair

Staff Reporter

Delhi Traffic Police joins hand with DTC, Delhi Metro and Northern Railway

NEW DELHI: In view of the India International Trade Fair, which begins at Pragati Maidan here this Monday (November 14), Delhi traffic police have in coordination with Delhi Transport Corporation, Delhi Metro and Northern Railway made elaborate arrangements to deal with the rush of visitors.

For the first time, the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) has decided not to sell tickets at Pragati Maidan counters on Mathura Road. Only counters on Bhairon Road would sell tickets. Visitors to the Trade Fair can get their tickets from Mother Dairy outlets, selected branches of Allahabad Bank, Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Federal Bank, Delhi Metro stations, DTC depots, bus conductors of DTC "Mela Special Service" and "park and ride" sites and petrol pumps of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.

The sale of tickets on weekends and holidays, when the rush is expected to be maximum, will be stopped by 5 p.m. and entry for visitors will be closed at 6-30 p.m.

Another new feature to control and regulate the crowd movement during the yearly event is barricading with wire mesh of Mathura Road, Bhairon Road and Purana Qila Road so that people do not come on to the road. Three portable pedestrian signals -- at "C" hexagon-Shahjahan Road, "C" hexagon-Tilak Marg and "C" hexagon-Rajpath (opposite National Stadium) points -- have also been installed to regulate the movement of pedestrians. Iron railings have been installed on the central verge of Bhairon Road and Mathura Road to prevent people from crossing over.

Instead, those arriving on Bhairon Road, either through private vehicles or on DTC buses, must use the pedestrian sub-way.

The traffic police have also asked the visitors using private vehicles not to come to Pragati Maidan directly and instead use the "park and ride" facility which would be available at "West Gate" of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Velodrome Road (IGI Stadium), radial roads of India Gate, area behind water channel Rajpath near "C" hexagon and the Central Secretariat Metro Station. Motorists can park their vehicles at these places and avail of the free special transport service to and from Pragati Maidan.

The ITPO will provide free shuttle services between the Central Secretariat Metro Station and Pragati Maidan for visitors travelling by Metro Rail. Visitors from North, North-West, North-East and East Delhi have been advised to avail of the Metro Rail up to the Central Secretariat. Limited parking spaces have been provided near Bhairon Mandir (opposite Gate No. 2,

Pragati Maidan), Railway Container Depot (Bhairon Road-Ring Road Junction), Bhairon Road (near traffic inspector's office at Tilak Marg), NSCI parking on Purana Qila Road, inside the National Stadium, Press Parking (NSCI), Gate No. 9, Appu Ghar and radial roads of India Gate -- Zakir Hussain Marg, Shahjahan Road, Rapjpath, Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Tilak Marg -- and also behind water channel of Rajpath on "C" hexagon.

No parking would be allowed on Mathura Road, Tilak Marg, Bhagwan Dass Road, Purana Qila Road, Bhairon Road, Shershah Road, Ring Road and "C" hexagon. Any vehicle found parked on these roads will be towed away. There will be no right turn from Mathura Road to Purana Qila Road and "U" turn on Mathura Road would be prohibited.

Motorists not intending to visit Pragati Maidan have been advised to avoid all main and arterial roads around Pragati Maidan during the next fortnight.

Autorickshaws have been asked to "halt and go" near DTC terminal (opposite Gate No. 2), Mathura Road.

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