Metro plans Rs 9 crore multimodal hub to ease chaos outside busiest station

NEW DELHI: With a daily average footfall of 2.5 lakh passengers and being the only Delhi Metro station where three corridors merge, Kashmere Gate is the busiest and biggest interchange station of the metro network. However, while trains and passenger traffic move almost like clockwork inside this mega station, the scene outside is that of chaos and choked arterial roads.

To decongest the areas around Kashmere Gate Metro Station and make the transport hub pedestrian-friendly, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is going to embark on a massive multimodal integration (MMI) project at a cost of Rs 9 crore.

DMRC has planned to create a new city bus terminal between the metro station and Kashmere Gate ISBT, halt-and-go parking bays for autorickshaws at the entry points, a surface parking for cars, two-wheelers and autos and a pick-up and drop zone for app-based cabs so that these don’t merge with general traffic. Pedestrian pathways and plazas would ensure that passengers are able to use last-mile connectivity without coming out on the main road.

The project is being carried out on directions of lieutenant governor Anil Baijal. While DMRC has planned and is helming the overall project, other government agencies such as Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Public Works Department (PWD) would be constructing different components.

Although Kashmere Gate Metro Station already has features of MMI, DMRC plans to cover more areas and make optimum use of these features.

The metro station is the merging point of three corridors — the elevated Red Line (Rithala-New Bus Adda Shaheed Sthal), the underground Yellow Line (Samaypur Badli-HUDA City Centre) and Violet Line (Kashmere Gate-Raja Nahar Singh) — with parallel platforms. This has also resulted in Kashmere Gate boasting of eight entry and exit gates, the largest number for any metro station.

Gates like number 3 near GT Karnal Road and numbers 1 and 7 near Lothian Road witness major congestion and become chokepoints during rush hour. The plans include diverting passenger traffic from gate number 3 to 6 and 8, where a pedestrian plaza would come up. A multilevel parking is also planned near gate number 3, which will be constructed by north corporation. PWD has been entrusted with the work of creating tabletop crossing for pedestrians on GT Karnal Road.

To avoid cutting about 30 trees, DMRC has planned the city bus terminal around them. There won’t be much use of concrete and bus sheds will be lightweight. They will be able to accommodate 15-20 buses at a time. A toilet, with separate facilities for women, and drinking water facilities are also planned near the terminal.

The terminal will be built by DMRC and maintained by DTIDC. A food court with 30 stalls and seating capacity of 150 people would be built by DTIDC, apart from a hawker zone. The area would be completely pedestrianised and is planned as a hangout zone.

DMRC will create a surface parking to accommodate 175 two-wheelers and 53 four-wheelers, apart from a pedestrian plaza next to the food court near gate numbers 6 and 8 of the metro station. The dedicated lanes for para-transit vehicles would be one-way and autorickshaws, e-rickshaws and taxis would have to pick up passengers and move out.

App-based cabs would be provided separate zones for picking up and dropping passengers. Height barriers will be put up so that buses don’t enter this area.