The worsening traffic congestion across the city particularly at major junctions such as ITO, Moolchand, Chirag Delhi, Nehru Place, RTR has taken a toll on the city’s road infrastructure which cater to both the Delhiites and floating population from the National Capital Region (NCR) regions like Noida, Gurgaon resulting in daily chaos.
The Pioneer has already sustained a month long campaign on traffic congestion, management, solution and this time the Capital’s new age destination across “Jamuna Paar” Anand Vihar has been carved out, to off load the in-traffic situation and has several commuters facilities like a Railway Station, Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT), Metro and Rapid Railway Transit System (RRTS) have come up.
Due to heavy traffic congestion, it is now considered one of the busiest areas in Delhi since it lies on the border, close to the bustling metropolis of Ghaziabad and Noida and millions throng here each day. The Anand Vihar ISBT falls under the Madhu Vihar traffic circle.
According to Delhi police, it has started a crackdown and issued 205 challans under different heads were also issued against the violators and encroachers.
During a visit by senior police officers recently, it was observed that the road was encroached by illegal vendors, and hawkers from both sides. They display articles on the pathways, clothes are hung on hangers and rings and illegally parked vehicles such as TSRs, Buses, Private Taxis add to the heavy traffic congestion, police said on Saturday.
Due to this, the once wide road has been shortened from both the sides and pedestrians and commuters were not getting enough space to even walk on footpaths.
Analysing the situation, the police evolved a strategy to clear IN/OUT congestion at the road of Anand Vihar ISBT and to make carriageway congestion free. A meeting was then arranged with the Deputy Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Shahdara South Zone and local police and they were requested to arrange joint drives for removal of encroachment at Anand Vihar ISBT. A special drive was carried out along with MCD. to clear congestion and most of the encroachments were removed.
Anand Vihar is a major transit hub connected with Railway, RRTS and Metro network and is always abuzz with lakhs of commuters using various modes of transport. It is surrounded by densely populated Indirapuram, Surajmal Vihar, Ramprastha in Ghaziabad, Noida, Dilshad Garden, Shahdara, Mayur Vihar, Patparganj. This leads to chaos and traffic congestion due to encroachers and heavy traffic volumes.
It takes road commuters 15 to 20 minutes to cross the outside the ISBT on Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg. Buses, autorickshaws, e rickshaws and private vehicles are always stationed at wrong points leading to traffic jams. A large number of non destined vehicles entering Delhi from UP also added woes to the commuters. It is around 9 pm, when the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border at Anand Vihar becomes messy as the legal time to enter into the Capital for the commercial vehicles begins.
Besides increasing parking fees, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena issued orders to regulate traffic / buses inside and outside the three ISBTs including Anand Vihar last month. Inside the ISBT, the situation has improved but outside, it remains the same.
