Traders stage protest as NDMC conducts mock drill for pedestrianisation of CP

Traders in Connaught Place on Saturday staged protest as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) conducted a mock drill for the pedestrianisation of the shopping hub on Sunday and Monday.

Traders who are miffed with the NDMC allegedly for not keeping them in confidence about the plan, removed barricades placed by the civic body and shouted Vehicular movement to Connaught Place will be restricted this Sunday and Monday as the NDMC plans to execute its pedestrianisation plan in the shopping hub.

Traders had raised objection to the plan following which the NDMC had tweaked its earlier plan, which was to make the inner circle completely car-free, to focus on pedestrianising the blocks but giving access to all parking lots in the inner and outer circles to car. Connaught Place market along with Chandni Chowk were one of the locations initially chosen for pedestrianisation in the national capital.

In January 2017, then Union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu had conceptualised the idea, which was taken forward by the NDMC.

However, the plan never took off owing to strong opposition from the traders' association. The NDMC had earlier this month announced that it will do a trial run of the plan for two consecutive weekends.