News: Why Gurugram needs to improve road and rail connectivity with Delhi-27-12-2020
GURUGRAM: A plan designed to improve connectivity in and around Gurugram has said more than two-thirds of inter-city trips are with Delhi and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) needs to establish both road and rail links with the capital in the coming years to ensure smooth movement of traffic.
The mobility plan, which was prepared by the School of Planning and Architecture and recently approved by the Haryana chief minister, says that inter-city trips of commuters account for 43% of the total trips in and around Gurugram. Of the 43% inter-city trips, 67% are with Delhi. After Gurugram-Delhi, the most number of trips from the city are with Faridabad (14.8%), Noida (1.6%) and others at 17%.
“This indicates that Gurugram-Delhi traffic interaction is huge and this pattern is likely to continue with even much higher numbers in the future. Therefore, Gurugram-Delhi connectivity will need to be significantly enhanced in the coming years in the form of road capacity and mass transit augmentation,” the mobility plan says.
A survey done as part of the mobility plan has revealed that despite the rush of traffic with the capital, there are only two direct road links from the city. This, the report says, has a cascading effect on traffic in the city, where roads often get choked during rush hours. Commute between Gurugram and Delhi is crucial because most offices and industries are located in these cities and most of the travellers are office-goers. “Mass transit connectivity is also inadequate between Gurugram and Delhi/Faridabad,” the plan specifies.
So, as part of suggestions to improve road connectivity, the plan has proposed a link between NH-48 (near Ambience Mall) and Mehrauli-Gurugram Road, which is an important part of the proposed Outer Ring road. But this proposed link needs a number of government approvals before the design is approved.
“The link, as designed in the plan, will either go through the Biodiversity Park or around it. So, it would be advisable that the aspect of Environmental Impact Assessment is taken up while designing the road itself and necessary measures are adopted,” said a senior GMDA official.
Apart from that, the Outer Ring road link between NPR and Old Delhi Road has been missing because the project is mired in land issues in Delhi. However, this connectivity can be solved by the road which links Shiv Chowk on NH-48 to Dwarka Expressway through Sector 25. The plan also talks about the link between Nelson Mandela Marg in Delhi and MG Road.
The comprehensive mobility plan has taken more than a year to be developed and speaks about how the city’s traffic problems can be solved. It also serves as a supporting document to seek approval from the Centre for the Gurugram metro project.
