Will they slow down New Delhi?

Cycle rickshaws may be introduced in NDMC areas; sources say the civic body and police are opposing the move citing security and traffic concerns

The Capital's high and mighty would soon be able to enjoy a ride on the humble cycle rickshaw; that is if things go according to plan.


Asleep at the wheels:u00a0 So far, an order by the Lieutenant Governor
had prevented cycle rickshaws from plying in NDMC areas. File Pics

The Special Task Force (STF) formed by Delhi High Court to solve traffic problems in the city is deliberating upon a draft by Delhi-based NGO Manushi Sangathan, in which it has recommended that cycle rickshaws be allowed in New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) areas and arterial roads of the city.

Sources say the STF is divided over the issue as a few members foresee a traffic chaos if cycle rickshaws are allowed in the high-profile zone. Delhi traffic police and NDMC both are opposed to the idea, while Manushi and some transport experts who are part of the STF are favouring it.u00a0

"After Delhi High Court's order, we had submitted a draft proposal to the STF which was later ratified by a legal team of Delhi Government. The idea is to give an impetus to non-motorised transport as it is eco-friendly. STF by majority vote has passed it," said Madhu Kishwar, who is an STF member and Founder President of Manushi Sangathan.u00a0

The STF would submit its report to the Delhi High Court. Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, who is heading the task force, said he was not aware of the plan when contacted by MiD DAY. If the proposal is accepted by the court and government, important roads in the city would have non- motorised lanes.

This includes areas like Connaught Place, India Gate, Khan Market, Rashtrapati Bhawan and other VIP zones where the country's top netas and babus reside and work. NDMC Chairman, Parimal Rai, who is also a member of STF, refused to comment on the matter. However, sources in government said, the civic body is opposing the move tooth and nail as it apprehends severe traffic problems if rickshaws are allowed in these stretches. Currently, a decades old Lieutenant Governor order prevents cycle rickshaws from plying in NDMC areas. The government also doesn't allow cycle rickshaws on arterial roads.u00a0

Traffic and Transport Expert, P K Sarkar said: "It is going to be a mess. The city would become a replica of Dhaka (Bangladesh) where cycle rickshaws are unregulated. It will be a welcome step only if transport infrastructure is upgraded to that level. Seeing current rate of vehicular growth on city roads, getting a three-metre cycle rickshaws lane is not feasible."

Former, Delhi police top traffic cop, Maxwell Pereira when contacted said: "It could be suicidal. There needs to be proper enforcement and infrastructure. Who is going to do that? First you tell me will somebody be able to do that," said Pareira.


Pedal power
The city currently has around 5 lakh cycle rickshaws.u00a0 By the MCD's own admission, the civic agency confiscates around 60,000 cycle rickshaws every year.

Ground reality
According to a recent MCD report before the Special Task Force, 9-10 per cent of the geographical area in the Capital is needed just for parking vehicles. The basis of MCD's report are transport department figures of 2008 when the city had 54 lakh registered vehicles. In the past two years, the number has crossed 60 lakh. A total of 1087 vehicles are registered every day, of which 1021 are personal vehicles. Nearly 3,65,000 vehicles are registered annually.

Street smarts
In Delhi the road space is shared by at least 30 different types of vehicles, each with different static and dynamic characteristics. Sample this:
'u00a0Delhi has the highest number of vehicles among all major cities in India.
'u00a0Public transport ridership has dropped from 60 per cent to 41 per cent in the past eight years.
' Private vehicles are left parked 95 per cent of the time while public modes of transport spend more time on road.
' Around 45 million sq.m. of land is needed for parking of already registered vehicles.
' The city needs a space equivalent to 310 international football fields to accommodate the number of cars which are registered in a single day.
' The working population of the National Capital Region (NCR) is estimated at 70 lakh.
' Traffic congestion causes an overall loss of Rs 840 crores per month.
' On an average 6 people die everyday in road accidents in Delhi.

Day in court
In February last year, the Delhi High Court had directed Delhi Government to jointly form a task force for discussing better ways of traffic management in the city. The court had made its intervention to regulate movement of vehicles in the capital. The court directed the Delhi Government along with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Delhi Development Authority and the Delhi Police to constitute the task force which would find ways to minimise congestion reduce pollution levels and ensure access to all classes of vehicles that ply on the roads including bicycles and cycle rickshaws.

For and against
Madhu Kishwar
Founder President of Manushi Sangathan and member, STF
The idea is to give an impetus to non-motorised transport as it is eco-friendly. STF by majority vote has passed it.

Satyendra Garg
Delhi Joint Commissioner, Traffic Police and member, STF
We are against it. It would need segregated lanes and current infrastructure cannot cope with it.