New Delhi: As the capital gears up to welcome the New Year, Delhi Traffic Police has rolled out a citywide traffic management plan to ensure safety amid large-scale celebrations. Nearly 100 alcohol-check teams will be deployed across the city. There will be intensified checks for drunk driving and other violations.
While enforcement will remain in place across the city, special restrictions will come into force in central Delhi, particularly around Connaught Place (CP) and India Gate, from 7 pm on Dec 31, owing to the heavy crowds expected there. No private or public vehicle will be allowed to move towards Connaught Place beyond designated cut-off points. These include Mandi House, Bengali Market, Gole Market, Patel Chowk, Windsor Place and key intersections along Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Jai Singh Road and RK Ashram Marg. Entry into the inner, middle and outer circles of Connaught Place will be prohibited, except for vehicles carrying valid passes.Limited parking facilities will be arranged for around the central business district. These include areas near Gole Dak Khana on Kali Bari Marg, Pt Pant Marg and Bhai Veer Singh Marg; behind All India Radio near Patel Chowk; Copernicus Marg near Mandi House; DDU Marg and Press Road near Minto Road; roads around Panchkuian, Bengali Market, Windsor Place and Gole Market. Officials cautioned that parking will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, and illegally parked vehicles will be towed away.Special traffic arrangements will also be made for New Delhi Railway Station, particularly for passengers approaching from the south. While access through Connaught Place and Chelmsford Road will be restricted, commuters can use alternative routes via Mandir Marg, Rani Jhansi Road, Desh Bandhu Gupta Road and Ajmeri Gate. Authorities clarified that Old Delhi Railway Station will not be affected by the New Year restrictions.Given the expected surge in vehicle movement, motorists have been advised to use Ring Road, Mathura Road, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Subramaniam Bharti Marg for north-south and east-west travel, bypassing the restricted central stretches.At India Gate, measures have been planned to manage both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. In the event of crowding, vehicles may be diverted from the C-Hexagon area and junctions such as Q-Point, Windsor Place and Mandi House, as well as several intersections along Mathura Road.With parking shortages anticipated near the zoo and Pragati Maidan, the public was strongly advised to use public transport and avoid Bhairon Road and Mathura Road during peak hours.Delhi Traffic Police urged commuters to plan their journeys well in advance, especially those travelling to airports, railway stations, and ISBTs, and to cooperate with personnel on the ground.
