Traffic likely to be affected in central Delhi during R-Day parade rehearsal

NEW DELHI: Vehicular traffic is likely to be affected in central Delhi on Tuesday during a full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day parade, the police said in an advisory and urged the public to plan their journeys accordingly.

The full-dress rehearsal will have the same route as that of the parade on Republic Day. The rehearsal will start at 10.30 am from Vijay Chowk and pass via Kartavya Path, C-Hexagon, the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose statue roundabout, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhas Marg before culminating at the Red Fort. In order to facilitate smooth passage of the parade, no traffic movement will be allowed on Kartavya Path from Vijay Chowk to India Gate from 6 pm on Monday till the end of the rehearsal on Tuesday.

There will be no cross-traffic on Kartavya Path at Rafi Marg, Janpath and Man Singh Road from 11 pm on Monday till the end of the parade. C-Hexagon-India Gate will be closed to traffic from 9.15 am on Tuesday till the parade crosses Tilak Marg, the advisory stated. Traffic on both directions will not be allowed on Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhas Marg from 10.30 am on Tuesday.

Cross-traffic will only be allowed depending on the movement of the parade, it stated. Commuters are requested to plan their journeys in advance and avoid the parade route from 9.30 am to 1 pm, according to the advisory. Metro services will remain available from all stations during the dress rehearsal. However, boarding and de-boarding from the Central Secretariat and the Udyog Bhawan stations will not be permitted from 5 am till 12 pm, it stated.

Though no restrictions have been imposed on traffic movement from north Delhi to New Delhi railway station or Old Delhi railway station yet, the advisory has asked people to plan their journeys in advance to avoid possible delays.

The movement of city buses will be curtailed at Park Street/Udyan Marg, Aram Bagh Road (Paharganj), the Kamla Market roundabout, Delhi Secretariat (IG Stadium), Pragati Maidan (Bhairon Road), Hanuman Mandir (Yamuna Bazar), Mori Gate, ISBT-Kashmere Gate, ISBT-Sarai Kale Khan and Tis Hazari Court, it stated. Buses from Ghaziabad bound for Shivaji Stadium will take National Highway-24, Ring Road and terminate at Bhairon Road.

Those coming from National Highway-24 will take the right turn on Road No 56 and terminate at ISBT-Anand Vihar, the advisory said. Buses to Wazirabad Bridge from Ghaziabad will be diverted at Mohan Nagar towards Bhopra Chungi.

No heavy transport or light goods vehicles will be allowed to cross the borders into Delhi from 11 pm on Monday till the parade is over. These vehicles will only be allowed to ply between ISBT-Sarai Kale Khan and ISBT-Kashmiri Gate on Ring Road from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm on Tuesday, it stated.

Flying of sub-conventional aerial platforms such as paragliders, paramotors, hang gliders, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned aircraft systems, microlight aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, hot air balloons, small size powered aircraft, quadcopters or para jumping from aircraft are prohibited over the National Capital Territory of Delhi till February 15.

The advisory has requested motorists to observe traffic rules and follow directions of personnel deployed at intersections.