Traffic and Parking has always been an issue in Delhi. According to the studies, the on-road time due to traffic congestion has increased up to 131% in the last 10 years. Jan Ki Baat set out to discover the reason behind the traffic issues. We covered the story from every perspective and found some interesting results during the findings. Traffic blockages were occurring not because of people not following traffic rules but due to Illegal Parking and encroachments. Delhi has grown exponentially over past few years. The number of car sales is multiplying each year. On the other hand, the infrastructure has not been able to cope up with the growing demands.
There are 3 million cars in Delhi alone and these vehicles need parking while they are not driven.
People park in No Parking zones and are completely ignored by the traffic police. Cars can be seen parked roadside which like encroachments of local shopkeepers on the roads with their “Thelas”, reduces the road spaces for the traffic to pass and create congestions. This is the daily scenario and increases the commuter’s on-road time. This leads to frustration and cases of road rage.
Our reporters surveyed many places with daily heavy traffic in peak hours to find out the reasons and consequences of the issue. Karol Bagh, Tilak Nagar and Connaught Place face regular jams during rush hours. Delhi Traffic Police charges 200 Rupees for Towing and 100 Rupees as Fine and according to the statements, 30-35 cars are towed every day, which apparently has no impact because the equipment on duty is not sufficient to fulfill the purpose.
Cab drivers cannot find places to park their cars. Their allegations are on the MCD employees is that they ask for unaffordable rent from them. So, they park at random places. The MCD employees have a different perspective altogether stating that the cars on No Parking Zones and on the road belong to the respective shop owners.
A multilevel Electronic Parking in Karol Bagh can only accommodate 150 cars right now against the other few hundred cars trying to find the right parking space and ultimately end up parking abruptly.
Currently, not many solutions seem to exist for this problem but carpooling and use of public transport are few of the best options.
Stakeholders in this issue like the commuters, cab drivers, traffic police, and the MCD parking employees, all of them have their own justified reasons for the chaos. But what lies behind is the irresponsible government authorities who don’t seem excited to improve the currently existing situation of the city.
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