Tikri border opened for two-wheelers

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, October 30

A 5-ft stretch of the National Highway-9 (Rohtak-Delhi) at Tikri border was opened today but only for two-wheelers, pedestrians and ambulances from 7 am to 8 pm.

It had been blocked by the Delhi Police with multi-layered barricading over 11 months ago.

The development came after a joint meeting of Haryana, Delhi police officials with farmers in Bahadurgarh town here over the opening of one side of the highway for vehicular traffic.

The farmers resisted opening of the entire one side and proposed to provide a 5-ft way for two-wheelers and pedestrians to cross the border till the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) meeting on November 6, said sources.

Sources said after the meeting, the police in presence of farmers removed the barricading up to 5 ft and allowed two-wheelers and pedestrians to cross the border. The farmers also deployed their volunteers at the entry point to keep a tab on the movement.

“The decision to open the border up to 5 ft has been taken keeping in view the problem being faced by large number of factory workers while commuting to Bahadurgarh from Delhi daily on motorbikes and cycles. Among four-wheelers, only ambulances will be allowed to go to Delhi so that ailing people do not have to wait for getting treatment,” said Buta Singh, a Bharatiya Kisan Union leader, after the meeting.

Buta Singh maintained three-wheelers of Delhi and Haryana would be able to drop people some distance away from the border, but those would not be allowed to cross the border. Commuters would be able to cross the border on foot to take another auto-rickshaw on the other side, he added.

“Four-wheelers are not being allowed over safety concerns. The vehicles may pose a serious threat to life of protesters as three Punjabi women were mowed down by a truck some days ago,” he added.

Waseem Akram, Superintendent of Police, Jhajjar, said initially, a 5-ft way at Tikri border had been opened for two-wheelers and ambulances on temporary basis. Further possibility would be looked into.