Expected to become operational by next month, Chirag Delhi and Greater Kailash Metro stations on the 25.59 km Kalkaji Mandir-Janakpuri West corridor is likely to cause a traffic nightmare outside these stations, though they will ease travel for commuters to and from South West Delhi.
The Chirag Delhi station located near the busy Chirag Dilli intersection on now defunct Bus Rapid Transit Corridor is just 500 metres from the Greater Kailash metro station. Entrances to both are situated on these main arterial roads.
“This is the first time that two metro stations have been built in such close proximity,” said a Delhi Metro official.
A visit by the reporter to these two stations last week found that the Metro authorities do not seem to have factored in the possible chaos due to vehicles slowing down and stopping at these metro stations on main roads. In fact, the Delhi Traffic Police had submitted their assessment on the choke points likely to be caused if the Metro stations are made operational, but their observation seems to have been ignored.
locals said once these two Metro stations become operational, it will be a nightmare for them to step out. Obviously, no lessons have been learnt from the traffic chaos caused outside existing Metro stations like Kailash Colony and Moolchand which result in congestion due to auto-rickshaws, cabs and private vehicles parked outside these stations, they said, adding terrible traffic snarls are expected at the upcoming Chirag Delhi and Greater Kailash Metro stations.
Chetan Sharma, secretary general of an umbrella organisation of Resident Welfare Associations, told The Pioneer, “The Greater Kailash Metro station will open right at the turning of Greater Kailash 2. This will create a mess as autos and e-rickshaws will block the passage of the market area.
Despite writing to the Delhi Metro for past two years, no action has been taken.”
However, a senior DMRC spokesperson said, “Taking cognizance of the traffic situation at other Metro stations, it is the first time that in all the stations of the Magenta line, we have created space for pick and drop facilities for passengers. At the Chirag Delhi Metro station, we have created two new slip roads -- one towards the Jahapanah forest side and the other towards the Chirag Delhi village. We have also created drop-off points for auto-rickshaws at all the five gates and provision is being made for one car drop-off point at one gate. We have also created two subways for the general public not heading to the Metro station.” “But due to paucity of land, we did not create any parking space,” he added.
He claimed that the Chirag Delhi Metro station has been classified as an “off the road” Metro station. “We have acquired land from the Chirag Nursery and after construction, we have promised to give back 75 per cent of the land by making it green,” he said.
The Delhi Metro expects the footfall to be 25,000 daily at the Chirag Delhi Metro station and 30,000 daily at the Greater Kailash Metro station. As for the GK Metro station, the traffic woes will be even worse as there is a single lane at the mouth of the stretch of the Savitri cinema, which will further lead to lack of parking space for last mile connectivity.
Metro officials said that to address this challenge, they have not created a separate bay or drop-off points at Savitri Cinema and instead have left space for the drop-off points at the other side of the Outer Ring Road. A DMRC official said that the stations are awaiting inspection from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS).