The Parliament Panel of India has released a press note regarding the worsening traffic conditions in Delhi. The Panel has presented the report on Delhi Traffic Management to Rajya Sabha that has detailed several far-reaching recommendations to address the menace and make Delhi more livable.
The 31-member Department Related Standing Committee on Home Affairs, headed by Rajya Sabha member Shri Anand Sharma on ‘The Management of Worsening Traffic Situation in Delhi’ presented 107 recommendations.
The report presents, the roots and consequences of the problem after examining all the issues in four meetings since August 2018. The panel discussed the matter with senior officials of the Union Ministries of Home Affairs, Road Transport and Highways and Housing and Urban Affairs and representatives of Delhi Government, four urban local bodies, DDA, Delhi Police and other agencies associated with infrastructure planning and development and research.
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The Parliament Panel called for the following measures –
It recommends registration of vehicles only on disposal of old ones and availability of parking space. It suggests linking insurance premium with rule violations
Separate lanes for VIPs, two wheelers, emergency vehicles
Urges early induction of 6,000 more buses
Lays emphasis on promotion of Non-Motorised Transport, Multi-modal integration at Metro stations
Calls for studying the impact of odd-even scheme
Asks Union Home Ministry to regularly report to Committee on progress of projects
Asks for strict action to ensure compliance with the order of National Green Tribunals on phasing out diesel and petrol vehicles of 10- and 15-years vintage respectively.
Asked Home Ministry to ensure timely completion of short-term projects by 2020 and long-term ones by 2025.
It recommended a well-considered Freight Traffic Regulation Policy for the entry of about 12 lakhs vehicles daily into Delhi. Asked them to use only the peripheral and ring roads and not be allowed to use city roads.
The Committee examined the role and responsibilities of different Ministries, Government of Delhi and other agencies involved and made specific recommendations.
Delhi Police asked to focus on rule enforcement not only at traffic lights but also to ensure on-road discipline like lane driving. The Committee hoped that the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 providing for stringent penalties would reduce rule violations but suggested revising the penalties for wider acceptance.
Dedicated lanes for emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire engines.
Recommended study to be conducted should be conducted on impact of ‘odd-even scheme’.
Additionally, it observed that most important persons reside in and around Lutyen’s Delhi, but there is no provision of separate lane to facilitate easy and free flow of traffic. This results in jams and also security concerns. It has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to coordinate with all the concerned to ensure free and safe movement of important persons without inconveniencing the commuters.
The Committee reviewed the situation in respect of 7 highly congested places namely, Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, Nehru Place, Bhikaji Cama Place, Karol Bagh, Kamala Nagar Market and Krishna Nagar Market and made specific recommendations besides calling for timely execution of planned initiatives for decongestion.
The Committee referred to the need to ensure designated parking facilities around prominent places like courts, hospitals, commercial complexes for use by visiting vehicles either on share basis or exclusively.
It quoted the phenomenal increase in the population of Delhi from 4 lakhs in 1901 to over 192 lakh, with projections of 225 lakhs by 2025. There is a presence of 112 lakh vehicles in Delhi accounting for 12.50% of total vehicles in the country. This gross mismatch between rise in number of vehicles and expansion in road length and lack of regulation of incoming vehicles into Delhi are the major reasons for worsening traffic in the national capital.