For most commuters in Delhi, the hassle starts at the end of the journey. With designated bus stops far away and the spaces around the stations chock-a-block with hawkers and rickshaws, reaching one’s destination becomes an arduous task.
Even as the DMRC provides feeder buses to ensure last mile connectivity, it is far too less compared to the number of travellers. It is to address this issue that Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had directed the concerned authorities to design an “integrated multi-modal transit system”. The aim of the concept has been to decongest and regulate both pedestrian and vehicular traffic in areas around the Metro stations.
According to the proposal drafted by the Unified Traffic and Transportation infrastructure (planning and engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), identified areas around metro stations will be developed to provide drop-off facilities, parking areas for feeder, para-transit modes and suitable environment with facilities for pedestrians thereby solving the issue of perpetual traffic mess around metro stations.
“Multi-Modal Integration (MMI) designs for 39 metro stations under Phase III have been approved till now. Consultants have been appointed for these stations. Implementation of the project has been divided station-wise between the Public Works Department, DMRC and the UTTIPEC,” said Ashok Bhattacharjee, former director planning, UTTIPEC.
The metro stations where MMI would be implemented include Netaji Subhash Place, Nehru Place, Gokulpuri, Janakpuri West, Karkarduma, Mayur Vihar Phase I, Palam, Moti Bagh, IIT, Badli Mod, Panchsheel Park, and so on. For the existing metro line, L-G Najeeb Jung had issued instructions to the DMRC to take up work related to five Metro stations, including Lakshmi Nagar, Nirman Vihar, Preet Vihar, Karkardooma and Chattarpur. Work related to metro stations at INA, AIIMS, Green Park and Hauz Khas has been assigned to the Public Works Department (PWD).
Public transport users in Delhi have to face major hassles daily, while shifting from one mode of transport to another. This inadvertently triggers traffic chaos around metro stations, leading to slow traffic movement.
As a pilot project, a 1,500-metre catchment area including Chhatarpur, Sultanpur, Ghitorni and Arjan Garh metro stations were to be developed to provide first mile and last mile connectivity.
However, two years have gone by since then, but the situation at this 7-km stretch continues to remain the same. “In that, Chhatarpur station is under us. We are at it. The idea was to make public transport the preferred mode of transport for maximum number of people by making it easily accessible, efficient, reliable and safe. So in Phase III, interchange zones will have pedestrian walkways, space for movement of cycle rickshaws, drop-in and drop-off points for autorickshaws and bus bays,” said a senior metro official.
