New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has again started preparations for implementation of its much-touted but controversial vehicle-free plan from August in the inner and middle circle of Connaught Place. Incensed over the sudden development, the traders have threatened to launch protest against the scheme as that would affect their business.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Atul Bhargava, president of New Delhi Trader’s Association (NDTA) said that they will not allow NDMC to go ahead with this ill-conceived plan at any cost.
“Sitting in their AC chambers, council officials do not have any idea about our business loss. They have not done any home work. We appreciated their idea to increase the parking fee but we will never support their ideas to barricade the circle and prevent the entry of vehicles of our customers,” Bhargava said.
NDMC is planning to ban the entry of private vehicles on weekends. An official from council said that if the plan works out, entry of vehicles will be prohibited from Friday evening till Sunday and this will start from coming August.
Connaught Place is the favourite destination of Delhiites during weekends as it offers multiplicity of eateries, theaters and shopping for customers who believe in spending time with their families and buying authentic stuff.
“NDMC has decided to put spanner in the weekend plans of the majority of shoppers as they would not be allowed to take their vehicles in the inner and middle circles of Connaught Place. The heart of the city is being throttled. I can not comprehend the logic behind the absurd plan,” Bhargava said.
“We need to remind to the NDMC bosses that CP is not heritage place but a shopping destination,” he emphasised. “We will never want that our customer will have to park their vehicles near Hanuman Mandir or Shivaji Stadium and take rickshaw to buy jewellery and other expensive items,” he added.
“Why the council is comparing Delhi with london and Times SquareIJ Are they able to eradicate hawkers and others who have encroached the corridorsIJ the NDTA president asked, adding, “We will not allow them to enforce the idea.”
Various meetings had taken place in February month among NDMC officials and traders on the same issue. And the council had also approached Delhi Traffic Police to submit their action plan on traffic diversion in the event of vehicle free plan being put into motion.
Alleging that the council was not keeping traders in the loop regarding its pedestrianisation plans, numbers of traders took social media platform to reach out to traders beyond Delhi boundaries. A NDTA member tweeted, “Instead of creating a bizarre policy, manage the traffic well to decongest CP!” @tweetndmc @dtptraffic #saveconnaughtplace.
To resolve the matter, NDTA members have written several letters to the politicians too. “Where is Chief Minister Sahab ... why he is not coming to help us,” asked Bhargava.
The council was supposed to make Connaught Place — vehicle free zone from February and the scheme was announced in January of this year. The plan was put on hold due to the continuous protest by traders. This time, the council is trying to impose the idea from backdoor without taking traders in the loop.