Flyovers In Delhi

Flyovers In Delhi

In a city where the number of private vehicles has been growing at 7-8 per cent annually while the network of road has gone up just about 0.33% in the past one decade, a reliable public transport system with an emphasis on a network of corridors which give precedence to buses is the need of the hour.

While most other countries have already realized the importance and relevance of BRT corridors, its acceptance in India has been dismal. When it comes to India, only eight Indian cities, so far, have BRT corridors running up to 168 km. Experts believe that the last few years have seen Delhi focusing on adding more road infrastructure by adding new elevated roads, flyovers and bypasses while strengthening public transport has somehow failed to catch the attention. More road space only invites more traffic. Any attempt to fulfill this insatiable demand for car-oriented infrastructure —wider roads, flyovers, and parking — is futile. The only solution is better public transport along with stringent measures to control personal motor vehicle use. Delhi must adopt a system-based approach, not just build a piece of road infrastructure for buses.

The Delhi government plans to convert several single-carriageway flyovers in the capital into two-carriageway flyovers to ease the traffic load. The proposal includes the flyovers at Moti Nagar, Punjabi Bagh and Rao Tula Ram (RTR) Marg. A provision for widening the single-carriageway flyovers has been made in the Delhi Budget. In all, there are 76 flyovers in Delhi designed to provide signal-free movement in the city, but with around 1,400 cars added to its roads every day, traffic congestion has increased drastically in Delhi.. Of the 90 flyovers in the city, 25 were constructed in the last five to six years and they are still in good condition and do not require any repair. All other are almost a decade old. Increased load of traffic on these flyovers has lead to wear and tear of the expansion joints and bearings on the flyovers which either needs to be repaired or changed.

The basic objective of constructing more and more flyovers is to de-congest the existing traffic. The government has no doubt given the green signal towards the construction of new flyovers in Delhi but by the time these are constructed, the number of vehicles as well as the population would have gone up manifold. Other Indian cities are following suit in building more roads and flyovers. The increasing number of roads and flyovers had ended up attracting more traffic. Some experts have recommended that the Government should introduce congestion tax and road space rationing in Delhi. Many South American cities do not allow a certain percentage of vehicles to ply on roads during rush hours every weekday or for the entire day. In London, the congestion charge is applied for commuters between 7am and 6pm on weekdays. This has reduced congestion in London and has also helped the Government to raise money for the development of the transport system in the city.

Source for Newspaper Clippings:

epaper.timesofindia.com

www.indiatollways.com

timesofindia.indiatimes.com