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Nearly 15,000 vehicles use the Rao Tula Ram (RTR) Marg crossing every hour during peak timings, according to data shown to the Delhi High Court by the Public Works Department (PWD) on Monday. The data also showed that this volume is expected to rise by five per cent every year.
The court of Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul had, on Friday, asked the PWD to give a presentation on the traffic situation at RTR and nearby areas, after the PWD had claimed that a larger traffic movement plan was being made for the entire South Delhi area.
Using scale models and presentations, Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and PWD told the court that a “funnel effect” was being created at RTR crossing. This was because traffic from Africa Avenue, Aurobindo Marg and NH-8 converged at this point.
The presentation was in response to a PIL filed by various RWAs of Vasant Vihar, against the proposed plan to construct a three-lane flyover parallel to the existing single-lane RTR flyover.
The plea had asked that the existing one be demolished and a six-lane flyover built in its place.
The court was also informed that the government was planning an “extensive” traffic movement plan to congest a large stretch of South Delhi.
The plan covers not only the proposed three-lane parallel flyover, but also includes building an underpass that will allow vehicles to turn right at Benito Juarez Marg, via Saint Martin Road towards the Ring Road.
At present, Benito Juarez Marg allows traffic movement only towards Palam Vihar and IGI Airport. It does not allow traffic coming from that direction to turn towards Central and South Delhi.
The proposal also includes construction”of a “portal flyover” to streamline traffic movement from IIT Gate to NH-8 – which will allow cars to travel both ways from NH-8 to Signals Enclave and the Cantonment area.
“If so many expert bodies have looked into it then how can we substitute their opinion for ours?” the court asked, after it was informed that Unified Traffic and Transportation
Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) — which includes officials from DDA, Urban Development ministry, MCD and other concerned agencies — had already looked into the proposed plans.
Advocate Rajshekhar Rao, appearing on behalf of the RWAs, however argued that the proposal indicated several separate projects which would worsen the traffic situation.
“The RITES report says that the RTR flyover by itself… They have given out the tender for the RTR flyover, but what is happening to the other projects?” the lawyer said.
Rao also alleged that the RTR project was not properly planned as there was “no space” on the road to construct a new three-lane flyover.
The court has now asked PWD and RITES to explain the traffic plan further and address the issues raised by Rao on Tuesday.
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