The sound of music and the cacophony of the worshippers of Bacchus in pubs and bars of Connaught Place (CP) have been muted by overzealous babus of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), who want four wheelers banned from entering into inner and middle circles. CP, the hub of bars and restaurants, is going to wear a deserted look from February 1.
Owners and managers of scores of pubs and restaurant-cum-bars anticipate a drastic reduction in the footfall as night birds may give CP’s bars and pubs a miss owing to car bandi. That may lead to loss of business and they may have to offload some of the employees, they said.
The inner and middle circles of CP are the favourite haunts of Delhiites where almost every night, the pubs and bars are filled with merry making people. The Pioneer spoke to owners of several pubs in CP to know the side effects of car bandi and many of them said for the party lovers and patrons the New Year has just begun but NDMC has spoiled their plans.
Kamlesh Verma, the head of operations of My Bar, pointed out women security among other things is the major concern if the decision of the Central Government is implemented. “Our business will fall. People who come over here to party, because of our reasonably priced food and drinks will think of alternatives. But my concern is for women who come in groups and party here. If they come in their vehicles, they have to walk more than one kilometre for their cars. If they come by cab they will have to walk all the way to the outer circle to get another cab at late hours. This move will hit us hard as it was announced without any notice,” said a worried Verma.
When asked about the solution in such situations, Verma said that their business will anyway be hampered and nothing much can be done till people get used to it. In order to bolster the confidence of visitors, especially women “police deployment should be increased”, Verma added.
Tsering, the general manager of Fuji Bar in M-Block, said, “There should be a rule of at least allowing app-based cabs to pick up and drop customers as that would facilitate movement of our customers”.
“If the Government wants such a move, we can do nothing but to stop it. If nothing at least allow cabs to drop and pick up our people. This way our business will not fall and people would still want to come to Connaught Place to enjoy their evenings. I am yet to figure it out why the Central Government planned on targeting a place like CP. Could they not have instead invested their energy on other undeveloped stretches of DelhiIJ,” lamented Tsering.
Faced with the spectre of car ban, party goers said that they will look for other locations as their leisure places. Naresh Jha, a businessman by profession, enjoying his drink with his better half at Café MRP, another popular party joint, said, “This development has come as a surprise to us. Bars in CP have not only added to the footfall in the area, they also helped in giving the place a facelift. It is the place visited by not only young but middle aged people as well. Now you think I will park my car at Shivaji Stadium or Baba Kharak Singh Marg and then come over to party here in an e-rickshawIJ I’ll rather head to Hauz Khas or any other place,” said Jha empting his drink.
Sonali Sharma, a B.Tech a student of Delhi Technological University, who was at My Bar Headquarters, said, “I travel by car everywhere and I mostly come here with my friends. With this strange decision I don’t think I will be secure enough. Anyway we will have to then come early and leave early and go somewhere else”.
Rohan Mehta, who also came to the bar with his friend Rupali Bansal, said, “I think development without proper planning by the authorities has been leading to all these problems on the ground floor. One solution can be to create enough parking infrastructure in inner and middle circle so that people can park and shop without any difficulties.
“I do not know what made them take such a devastating stepIJ Why would we park our vehicle on outer circle and walk to inner circle. We will rather visit other places,” the couple said.
Pradeep Upadhaya, the Marketing manager of PVR Cinemas, said “Everybody’s business will be down.
I believe that business is likely to affect by 30-40 per cent, because people not only visit here for watching movies but to shop and enjoy as well.
But if the decision is implemented they will switch to other malls where all the facilities are under one roof.”
When asked about the prospect of bars restaurants and pubs of CP losing on business, Atul Bhargava the President of New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) told The Pioneer, “Our concern is the safety and security of girls and women who come to party here. How will they walk all the way from the designated parking lots to the pubs in high heelsIJ They will give CP a go by and opt for other areas in South Delhi. We have expressed our concerns to the authorities but they are least bothered.”