Pedestrian-only zones are the sole long-term solutions to the congested and chaotic markets across the Capital, municipal officials said. The admission comes in the wake of the National Green Tribunal asking the Delhi Government and agencies concerned to decongest commercial hubs like Lajpat Nagar and Karol Bagh.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner Manish Gupta said the situation in Lajpat Nagar Central Market can be fixed by imposing a strict “pedestrian-only” zone.
“We will be engaging a consultant to come up with a comprehensive decongestion plan for Lajpat Nagar Central Market as a pilot project,” said Mr. Gupta, who is also the Commissioner of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.
He said the biggest problem was the “illegal and haphazard parking of vehicles”, which would only be resolved if the Traffic Police, the Public Works Department and the Delhi Metro work with the civic body to decongest the area.
Meanwhile, the situation in Karol Bagh remains a mess, with double-parked cars restricting movement. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation recently declared Ajmal Khan Road-II a free parking zone. Without parking attendants to regulate vehicles, the road has become a free-for-all. Even in other parts of Karol Bagh, the corporation has not been able to control illegal parking despite increasing charges on November 1.
