Encroachment, autos add to mess at Dilshad Garden Metro station

Chaos outside Metro stations in Delhi and NCR is not new. Traffic diversions, congestion and wrong-side plying of vehicles are common at the Dilshad Garden Metro Station. Encroachment and haphazardly parked vehicles outside the facility add to the mess, thereby, making it extremely difficult for commuters to enter and exit the station premises.

The chaotic scenario exists at a time when the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is expanding its network across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

“We face a lot of difficulty in entering the Metro premises due to haphazardly parked autorickshaws and Gramin Sewa vehicles. The situation becomes worse during the morning and evening rush hours,” said Sushil Sharma, a commuter at the Dilshad Garden Metro Station. 

Hawkers and vendors have turned service roads into dumping yards, he added. 

Situation at the Jhilmil Metro Station is no different. Commuters said that they have to be extra cautious while entering or coming out of the Metro station. Many a time, autorickshaw drivers push and surround passengers, making it difficult for them to exit or enter the Metro station. There have been cases, wherein commuters get inured in the melee, said a woman who takes a train from the Jhilmil Metro Station daily. 

She added that the  agencies concerned have failed to put a check on encroachment around Metro stations and stop illegal parking of vehicles in the area. 

Recently, the Delhi Metro ranked first in the category of ‘information during travel’, as per a survey conducted by the Railway and Transport Strategic Centre (RTSC) on Metro systems. 

The survey report further mentions the areas suggested for improvement by commuters. Some of the areas that need to be worked upon are –  pavements, lighting, cleanliness/ orderliness and checking encroachment outside Metro stations. The DMRC had claimed to have taken note of the issues raised by commuters and said that it would take up the problems with the civic authorities concerned.