The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) raised objections to a string of issues with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), includingoutdoor advertising on highways and an illegal parking lot, officials said on Tuesday.
In a recently held meeting, the central body’s concerns were conveyed to the Delhi Government, which has MCD’s administrative control.
“The MCD has been allotting space for advertisements and hoardings alongside national highways, which poses a safety risk to road users. The MCD may promptly remove all such advertisements,†NHAI officials said during the meeting.
In response, the MCD said, “Outdoor Advertising Policy 2017, approved by the Supreme Court, applies to all of Delhi. The MCD is ready for joint inspection with the NHAI if any issue arises.â€
The MCD further argued that it is allocating space to the advertisers under the Delhi Municipal Act, 1957.
“The policy itself contains all measures for traffic safety, including a structural stability certificate.â€
The NHAI stated, “As per the ministry’s guidelines, advertisement hoardings are not allowed on national highways.
“Accordingly, the MCD may remove all the illegal hoardings. Outdoor advertising is a major source of revenue for the corporation.â€
The corporation also started an “illegal parking†near the Gandhi Nagar area in East Delhi, alongside the service lane of the newly constructed Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, the NHAI alleged.
“The NHAI has requested the MCD to remove the same (parking lot) several times, but no action has been taken,†the highway authority said.
However, the corporation responded stating that the parking was permitted after obtaining a no-objection certificate from the traffic police.
“There was an illegal parking operation on the stretch. The MCD made it legal by floating the tender and allotted the license to the parking contractor with NOC from the Delhi Traffic Police.
“Parking is for 29 cars. If NHAI insists, the MCD is ready to cancel it subject to monitoring of NHAI for any illegal operation of parking at the stretch,†the corporation said in response.
To resolve these issues, the NHAI proposed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the MCD to jointly maintain the parking lot.
The MCD expressed willingness to collaborate and conduct joint inspections if needed.
