Traders in Connaught Place have launched an online petition against the New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) plan to pedestrianise the commercial hub from February.
After the announcement by Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on January 5, the NDMC started working on a plan to ban all vehicles from the inner circle and middle lanes of Connaught Place. The pilot project is expected to start in February.
Econo mic activity may drop
The traders, however, have opposed the move saying that if parking of cars and two-wheelers is stopped, shoppers will give Connaught Place a miss.
The New Delhi Traders’ Association (NDTA), which represents businesses in Connaught Place, started a petition on Change.org to seek support for their campaign against pedestrianisation.
Addressed to Mr. Naidu and his Ministry, the petition reads: “This [pedestrianisation] will not only drop the economic activity in the area but will also result in job losses in huge numbers... if pedestrianisation is implemented, it will result in the closure of business houses operating over the past five decades or more.”
Social media support
President of the NDTA Atul Bhargava said that the traders will use social media to gather support for their campaign.
Meanwhile, the NDMC is yet to finalise its plans for pedestrianisation. The civic body is expected to introduce a ‘park and ride’ facility, where visitors will park their vehicles at the multi-level parking lots in the area and then take electric vehicles to Connaught Place.
