Delhi: No cars in Connaught Place from 8pm on Dec 31 except those with passes

No vehicles will be allowed in Connaught Place during New Year’s Eve celebrations from 8pm on Tuesday till 5am on Wednesday except those that have special entry stickers issued by the Traffic Police, officers said on Monday. The police have issued only 2,500 such stickers to organisers of party events at nightclubs, restaurants, and hotels.

The exit gates of Rajiv Chowk Metro station will be shut from 9pm, police added. After 7pm, no buses, private and public, will be allowed into Connaught Place.

“2,500 stickers have been sold for ₹100 each to party organisers in Connaught Place. The organisers will issue these special entry passes to their guests, who will have to display them on their vehicles to enter the outer, middle and inner circles of Connaught Place Circle from Tuesday 8pm onwards. These stickers will allow vehicles beyond restricted areas and to park in designated lots managed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in Connaught Place. Vehicle owners will have to pay parking attendants to park vehicles,” said additional commissioner of police (traffic zone 2) Dinesh Kumar Gupta.

The Delhi Traffic Police said they have made arrangements to monitor the roads for rash and drunken driving at India Gate, Connaught Place, and more than 50 party venues in central, south and other parts of the city. Four hundred traffic personnel will be deployed in and around Connaught Place and India Gate alone.

The “no-entry” restrictions at Connaught Place and its connecting radials will start at 8pm on Tuesday. The traffic police have prepared 12 points that will be sealed for vehicles, except those with valid entry stickers. There will be 14 such points around the India Gate Circle, and 135 points in all of New Delhi district, said Gupta.

“Our focus will be on identifying and prosecuting motorists involved in rash and drunken driving. We are deploying 46 dedicated traffic prosecution teams with alcometers to check for drunken driving. Fifty motorcycle teams will be deployed for chase and challan and 16 cranes will be deployed to remove vehicles parked at unauthorised places,” he added.

Parking facilities for vehicles without the special passes will be available at 10 locations: Gole Market on Kali Bari Marg, Pandit Pant Marg, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, near Patel Chowk on Rakabganj Road, near Mandi House on Copernicus Marg up to Baroda House, near Minto Road on Deen Dayal Upadhaya Marg and Press Road area, near Panchkuian Road on RK Ashram Marg, Chitragupta Road and Basant Road towards Paharganj, near KG Marg-Ferozshah Road Crossing on Copernicus Lane, KG Marg towards C-Hexagon, and near Bengali Market roundabout.

Security arrangements

The Delhi Police’s arrangements include live CCTV monitoring, two doctors on call, an inspector from the excise department, more than 1,000 police and CAPF staffers and bomb squads. There will be special arrangements and heightened police deployment around Connaught Place, Khan Market, India Gate, and luxury hotels.

More than 648 sub-inspectors and constables, 100 home guards, 30 ACPs and inspectors, and 11 companies of CAPF will be deployed in New Delhi district along with two SWAT teams and two bomb disposal squads. Police said more than 47 pickets will be put in Connaught Place to only allow those vehicles with valid passes to park and prevent overcrowding.

Police will monitor and track crowds in real time, supervised by the DCP New Delhi and others. Police said at least 28 door frame metal detectors will be erected at different places and all passing individuals will be frisked. No one will be allowed to drink liquor in public places, said police.

“Two doctors will be on duty to check people driving under the influence of alcohol. An excise inspector will be deployed for intensive checking in connection with violations of excise Laws,” said DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla.

In south Delhi, breath analysers, quick response teams, PCR vans and picket points will be in place at 27 locations. At least 16 PCR vans will be station in southwest Delhi to ensure traffic and law and order management.

Police said teams will also check the 15 malls and theatres in south Delhi.