The areas around the existing and upcoming Metro stations, especially those with high footfall would soon be connected through multi-modal transport facilities like travelators, skywalks and elevators. The Delhi Government is working to implement the ‘integration of multi-modal transport’ aimed at decongesting and regulating both pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the areas around the Metro stations.
lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Tuesday reviewed the presentation made by Unified Traffic and Transportation infrastructure (planning engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) which has already worked out detailed plans for nine Metro stations out of the 44 others which have been identified as having high footfall and require intervention to regulate human and vehicular traffic.
Jung issued instructions to the DMRC to take up the work related to five Metro stations, those in laxmi Nagar, Nirman Vihar, Preet Vihar, Karkardooma and Chhatarpur. Work related to Metro stations in INA, AIIMS, Green Park and Hauz Khas has been assigned to the Public Works Department.
Jung also issued instructions to the UTTIPEC to complete their plan on the remaining 35 Metro stations at the earliest. He will review the progress of their work at regular intervals. He will also take a meeting with all concerned in June to review the design plans of UTTIPEC for the 3rd phase of DMRC construction.
On the other hand, PWD has identified 60 such intersections across the city where travelators with elevators and skywalk will be constructed to give easy access to those using Metro. ITO and New Delhi Railway Station are among the first where PWD and Northern Railway is planning to put revelators and skywalk to give free access.
According to a proposal prepared by the railway’s Delhi division, the skywalk, enabled with escalators, will connect the railway station to the exits of Delhi Metro station and Airport Metro line. Currently, passengers have to walk through a maze of traffic to get inside the New Delhi station. Senior railway officials said a feasibility study on the one-of-a-kind skywalk was being done and rough estimates put its cost at Rs 8 crore. Similarly for ITO, the PWD has asked lieutenant Governor to make a presentation on the project.