New Delhi: Work is underway to remedy traffic woes on the Ring Road, traffic police said on Wednesday, highlighting that fixes in three of 10 issues they identified in a joint survey with the Public Works Department (PWD) on April 18 have been implemented. They said they will share a report of a follow-up survey done by them with PWD and other agencies concerned, to implement fixes recommended on the key road.
The problems and solutions identified by the police and PWD pertained to widening the road near the AIIMS loop, shifting the Safdarjung hospital bus stand, installing directional signage before AIIMS, Barapullah Flyway and INA (market) loops, and addressing the bottleneck issue near Raj Nagar, Hyatt and Moti Bagh flyovers.
“Our joint inspection was aimed at identifying issues that were contributing to the traffic chaos on both carriageways of the Ring Road between the Safdarjung Hospital and Dhaula Kuan in south Delhi, and finding solutions,” said deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi Traffic) Rajeev Kumar.
“Some minor interventions, which includes widening of roads, shifting of bus stops, installing signage, road carpeting, and installing metal grills on footpaths and road dividers, are likely to help reduce traffic congestion on the stretch,” Kumar said.
A senior traffic police officer, requesting anonymity, said that April’s joint survey was conducted keeping in view multiple complaints received from commuters regarding traffic snarls on the Ring Road in south Delhi. Apart from some traffic police officials, at least five engineers from the PWD were also part of the joint inspection. A majority of the issues were found outside the Safdarjung Hospital.
The officer said that during the inspection, they observed that the narrow width of the road near the AIIMS loop was leading to traffic snarls. A key solution they identified was to increase the road width by five to six feet, as space was available to the left side of the carriageway.
“The widening of the road would help in creating another lane for movement of vehicles,” the officer said, adding that the work was still pending.
Shifting a bus stop from outside the Safdarjung Hospital was another recommendation made in the inspection report. The surveyors observed that many Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and others were halting or terminating outside the hospital, obstructing traffic flow. They found that each bus halted for at least 40 to 50 seconds for passengers to board or disembark, and this affected vehicular movement.
“It was suggested that the DTC bus stand opposite the Safdarjung Hospital (on the carriageway towards the AIIMS loop from Dhaula Kuan) be shifted nearly 150 metres back, towards Raj Nagar, for uninterrupted and smooth traffic flow. This issue has been addressed,” a second traffic police officer, who took part in the survey, said.
A lack of directional signage was another contributor to traffic snarls on the carriageway towards the AIIMS loop from the Safdarjung Hospital. There are three separate loops—one going towards AIIMS and South Extension, a second leading to Barapullah Flyway, and a third, going towards INA (Market) from the Ring Road outside the hospital. Also, there is a U-turn to move to the opposite carriageway at the same junction.
“Motorists often get confused at the start of the loops and as a result, slow down, causing a traffic backlog. Directional signage was recommended for each loop and a separate signage on the road for bus drivers, guiding them to use only the designated space for boarding or de-boarding passengers. As queuing of vehicles is seen on the Ring Road outside the RK Puram Sector-12 CNG station, installation of a signage was recommended to instruct motorists waiting in the service lane for gas refilling,” the second officer said, and added that signage installation was under progress.
Waterlogging at multiple points on the stretch during the last monsoon was also highlighted in the survey. Officials said the issue has been addressed and resolved. Another issue that was resolved was the absence of central verge railings near Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus Metro Station, which allowed pedestrians to cross the main carriageway, thereby, increasing the risk of accidents.
Issues that are yet to be resolved include traffic bottlenecks at the ascending points of Raj Nagar, Hyatt and Moti Bagh flyovers due to decreased width, setting up zebra and stop-line markings under the three flyovers, carpeting of the road near the Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus Metro Station, where repair work was carried out by the Delhi Jal Board, creating nose points on both sides of Raj Nagar and Hyatt flyovers by affixing bollards, and installing cemented or metal grills on the footpath outside the Safdarjung Hospital for pedestrian safety.