Delhi to set up 50 police posts at subways, flyovers to improve public safety

Delhi has expedited plans to set up police posts at pedestrian subways, beneath flyovers and near foot overbridges following recent incidents of violence against women in the national capital.

Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on Saturday directed officials to finalise the project in coordination with the Delhi Police and implement it as soon as possible.

“With the Delhi Police and the PWD completing formalities, directions have been given to issue tenders and start work on the ground. In the initial phase, we plan to set up police posts at around 50 locations. The government will set them up from its own budget, while the Delhi Police must provide manpower and manage the area. Tenders for the project will be floated soon,” Singh said.

The project is aimed at improving the safety and utilisation of public infrastructure, he added.

The PWD, which maintains around 106 flyovers, 115 foot overbridges and nearly 70 subways, will construct the proposed police posts for the Delhi Police.

Officials said the government had received an initial proposal from the Delhi Police to establish about 50 posts, which was found feasible after assessment.

“While we have approved that proposal, in future, we plan to cover all road assets such as flyovers, pedestrian subways and foot overbridges. Approximately 300 police posts will be set up,” officials said.

In the later phase, the PWD is also considering allowing commercial establishments inside pedestrian subways. However, the proposal is yet to be approved, officials said.

The objective is to provide a sense of security to subway users, they added.

In July last year, the government proposed an “adopt a flyover” project under a public-private-partnership model to ensure cleanliness and better care of road infrastructure. It has also signed an agreement with private companies to take up work under the initiative.

Earlier, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had announced a corporate social responsibility initiative inviting private companies to transform spaces beneath six flyovers into clean, organised and visually engaging public areas.