After 100 challans, Delhi drivers fear the blue lane

Even as commuters faced a harrowing time on Monday, inching through jammed city roads with lanes earmarked for Games traffic, the traffic police challaned some 100 people for straying into the dedicated lanes. The dedicated lanes on roads from the Games Village to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Major Dhyanchand Stadium and Indira Gandhi Stadium were restricted. The 1,600 blueline buses keeping off these stretches only added to the commuters’ woes.

“A 100 people were challaned today. And as expected, there was congestion on the stretches which were restricted. But everything went on smoothly, including facilitation of Games buses to the practice venues,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg.

In view of restrictions on normal vehicular traffic movement, the ridership of Delhi Metro saw a sharp rise of 65,000 commuters on Monday, as compared to last Monday. As many as 12.62 lakh commuters had taken the Metro till 8 pm. The Traffic police has advised people working in and around the CGO Complex in Lodhi Colony near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium , the main venue of Commonwealth Games, to use car pools, Metro or public transport from Tuesday when movement of vehicles will be prohibited near the main venue. This arrangement will affect traffic bound for CGO Complex, Electronic Niketan, Soochna Bhawan, Scope Building, MTNL, Pragati Vihar and Lodhi Colony Type-V residential complex.

“No buses or paramilitary forces heavy vehicles will be allowed to move on the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium road. They are instructed to move on Lala Lajpat Rai Marg and Lodhi Road and drop passengers at the petrol pump and near the bus stand on Lodhi Road, NBCC respectively,” Garg said. The vehicles having parking labels issued by the Security Wing of the offices concerned will be allowed to enter the office complexes and be parked inside.

In another order, the Delhi Police also notified that parking or halting of any type of vehicle, except Games-related traffic and vehicles of Delhi Police and the emergency services, is prohibited on any part of the roads where dedicated Games Lanes have been notified till October 16. Violators shall be punishable under Section 188 of the IPC.