CP-like plan to end car chaos in Noida's Sector 18 market

NOIDA: The congested Sector 18 market area will soon have marked spots to tell visitors where they can park their vehicles and where they can’t.
The Noida Authority CEO on Tuesday asked officials to finish a survey soon and create designated spots for parking of vehicles. Officials said the entire market area was being surveyed to mark zones where vehicles would be allowed and areas that can be accessed only on foot, such as the Tikona Park.These parking spaces would be in addition to the multilevel car park that has direct access to the market area.
Despite the multilevel parking facility, people tend to park their vehicles haphazardly along shops they intend to visit. Last year, the authority and traffic police had proposed turning the entire Sector 18 market area vehicle-free, but the plan had met with resistance from traders and shopkowners. They claimed it would reduce crowd and slow down business.
“Steps are being taken to reduce congestion and create pedestrian-friendly zones, where people can walk and enjoy with their families. We may also introduce some new activities soon. The entire area may be like Connaught Place, where vehicles are not allowed in certain parts,” said Rajeev Tyagi, general manager of the Noida Authority.
The Authority is also set to float by March tenders for some of its major infrastructure projects, such as the city’s second golf course and habitat centre in Sector 151A, Parthala Chowk flyover and a skywalk between Botanical Garden metro station and the Sector 18 market. The CEO on Tuesday reviewed the progress and asked officials to expedite work.
A blueprint to decongest the Master Plan 1 road is also expected to be finalised soon as RITES is likely to submit its survey report. Traffic police had prepared a report and given it to the authority about 15 days ago.
“We will be finalising the plan soon as we are meeting officials from RITES on Wednesday. They have to prepare the final suggestions as well as the estimates for implementation,” said Tyagi.
The tenders for the golf course and habitat centre and skywalk are expected to be floated by the middle of March. Officials said the long pending demand for the Parthala Chowk flyover would soon be met along with a new design and the tender for that is likely to be floated by the end of next month.
“The design has been approved and the flyover will be a cable-stayed bridge similar to Signature Bridge in Delhi or the Bandra-Worli Sealink in Mumbai. The CEO has directed that all formalities be completed and we float the tender within 20 days,” said KK Aggarwal, general manager at the authority.
Officials have also been asked to complete work for the construction of the four underpasses along the Noida-Greater Noida expressway. Work along one of the underpass is going to begin soon as the tender has been approved, while those for two others are to be floated by March. For the fourth underpass, documents are being readied.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh park, a general hospital, installation of 100 electric vehicle charging stations across the city, multilevel parkings in sectors 1, 3, 5 and 38A and installation of fountain in the medicinal park in Sector 91 and YRF park in Sector 14A are other projects that are likely to be completed by March.