Trial on dedicated Games lane conducted successfully

The trial run of the dedicated Commonwealth Games lane was conducted successfully along the 3-km stretch on Lodhi Road here on Sunday. During the conduct of the Games, a 180-km-stretch across the Capital will function as a dedicated lane to facilitate uninterrupted movement of participants and dignitaries.

The trial on both carriageways of Lodhi Road was carried out from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to familiarise road users with the dedicated lane system. “The trial was conducted smoothly. We did not face much problem as commuters followed the directions properly. Also, it being a Sunday, there was less traffic on the road. Indicators and signages had been put along the stretch for the convenience of road users and extra police personnel were also deployed at the intersections for traffic regulation,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg.

The extreme right lane along the stretch, demarcated by a yellow line, was out of bounds for the general traffic during the trial. “No lane violation was reported,” said Mr. Garg, expressing satisfaction over the public response. Lane violation presently attracts a challan of Rs.100, but the amount would be scaled up to Rs.2,000 once the new rule is notified. “After notification, violators may also be challaned as per the new rule during the trials,” said Mr. Garg.

During the run-up to the Games, similar trials would be conducted on the other stretches along the roads linking the Games-related venues, including the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The general public would be informed about it well in advance for their convenience.

With the arrival of the athletes and other participants, the dedicated lanes would be declared out of bounds for general traffic from September 20 till the conclusion of the Games-related activities.

An intelligence traffic monitoring system, having a network of sophisticated cameras with specific purposes, would be in place at the Games-related venues to monitor and regulate vehicular movement. To help reduce traffic on the roads, the police have requested the public to use public transport, particularly Delhi Metro, during the Games.