In a first-of-its-kind initiative centered on civic engagement, the solutions to decongest roads in the Capital are now coming from the residents and not just the Delhi Traffic Police.
Following directions from Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu earlier this month, the Delhi Traffic Police rolled out Project SANGAM — Synergistic Action and Networked Governance for Area Mobility. This is a collaborative platform that brings together Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), Market Welfare Associations (MWAs), and civic agencies such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Public Works Department (PWD).
It is based on a simple but significant idea — traffic management as a shared civic responsibility rather than a top-down enforcement exercise.
The project has already begun to reshape how local traffic issues are identified and addressed in key neighbourhoods like Connaught Place, Khan Market, Chanakyapuri, Defence Colony, South Extension, Rajouri Garden, Saket and Karol Bagh.
“Participatory governance could be key to long-term behavioural change. When residents are involved in framing solutions, compliance tends to improve. For instance, RWAs can help ensure that parking norms are followed within colonies, while market associations can regulate loading and unloading practices,” said Sanjay Tyagi, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic.
Since the project’s launch on April 3, over 30 meetings involving more than 6,000 residents have been conducted, said officers.“During these interactions, we note down suggestions on the ground and translate them into actionable measures. For instance, in Chanakyapuri, issues like unauthorised parking, traffic issues especially during VIP movement were flagged, and steps such as installing barricades along central verges, including stretches like San Martin Marg, have been taken,” said Shobhit Saksena, DCP, Traffic, New Delhi.
Even around Hanuman Mandir and on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, residents highlighted congestion on specific days like Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, he said.
“We streamlined parking near Shivaji Stadium and Bangla Sahib Lane by ensuring vehicles halt in a single line and coordinated with civic agencies like NDMC. Enforcement has also been strengthened, including challans for buses and action against unauthorised parking,” Saksena added.
What has emerged is a granular understanding of everyday problems, unauthorised parking outside homes and markets, chaotic e-rickshaw
movement, rampant wrong side driving, and encroachments that shrink already narrow roads.
Unlike traditional grievance systems, SANGAM feeds these citizen inputs into a central digital repository, allowing authorities to track each issue from suggestion to implementation. Officers say more than 50 actionable suggestions have already been logged.
The impact is already beginning to show on the ground. In several of these areas, enforcement has been sharpened through targeted e-challans, towing and clamping drives. At the same time, civic agencies have stepped in with structural fixes, adjusting signal timings, redesigning stretches prone to bottlenecks, and improving pedestrian safety measures.
What sets SANGAM apart is its emphasis on localisation. Traffic problems in Connaught Place are vastly different from those in Saket or Rajouri Garden. By involving RWAs and MWAs, authorities are able to tailor solutions—whether it is regulating peak-hour parking in
busy markets or managing last-mile e-rickshaw congestion near residential clusters.
The initiative also attempts to bridge coordination gaps between multiple agencies often cited as a major hurdle in Delhi’s traffic management. With the traffic police, MCD, and PWD working in tandem, implementation delays can potentially be reduced.
However, the real test will lie in sustaining the rigour. Citizen participation often wanes over time, and enforcement fatigue can set in. “SANGAM will soon be expanded to other parts of the city, with a focus on keeping engagement continuous rather than episodic.
If it succeeds, Project SANGAM could mark a shift in how Indian cities tackle urban mobility not just through more policing, but through partnership with the people who navigate these roads every day,” said DK Gupta, Additional CP, Traffic.
Barricades have been placed in Khan Market to streamline traffic. (Source: Express Photo) 
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