In order to ensure pedestrian safety and improve traffic situation surrounding busy Metro stations, the Delhi Traffic Police will be deploying its men near such metro stations. The police have also decided to set up separate booths for auto rickshaws at selected metro stations so as to ensure that passengers do not face hassles on their onward journey. This, according to police, aims at ensuring last mile connectivity to the metro commuters.
To begin with, traffic police have identified 45 metro stations with heavy footfall where they would deploy policemen to regulate traffic and facilitate their movement to metro stations. Some of the major stations where cops would be deployed include Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Vishwavidyalaya, Hauz Khas, Yamuna Bank, laxmi Nagar, Anand Vihar, Karol Bagh and Inderlok.
"The initiative aims at providing seamless travel to the metro commuters at these busy stations. This will facilitate both the pedestrians as well as the motorists," said a senior traffic police official. He added that the auto-rickshaw booths would further help metro commuters in getting auto-rickshaws as the last mile connectivity.
Officials said while footfall at some of the stations is very high, approach roads near the metro stations are even more congested leading to much traffic chaos. Often these roads remain clogged with mixed traffic. With cops deployed in these areas, the traffic police plans to ease the traffic flow near Metro stations.
"Bus terminals are located just next to the Metro stations like Kashmere Gate and Uttam Nagar. The roads outside the Metro stations are clogged with buses and intermediary transport like auto-rickshaws. Metro commuters find it hard to navigate through them," the official added.
The decision comes in the wake of a survey conducted by them about the traffic movement near the Metro stations. The traffic police have discussed the issue of streamlining the traffic situation near Metro stations with the security and operations department of Delhi Metro.
Earlier, the traffic cops had also sent a proposal to Delhi Metro to provide for a dedicated 'halt and go' area for auto-rickshaws within the station premises of upcoming metro stations in phase-III.