In preparation for the 44th edition of the India International Trade Fair (IITF), scheduled to be held from 14 to 27 November 2025 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, the Delhi Police has announced an extensive traffic management and parking plan designed to handle the heavy influx of business visitors, exhibitors, media, and members of the general public, and to ensure smooth movement of regular vehicular traffic in and around the venue. The plan, which comes in response to persistent congestion and pedestrian‑vehicular traffic challenges experienced in previous editions of the fair, outlines dedicated entry gates, parking lots, direction signage, traffic personnel deployment, special vehicles, and awareness initiatives.

Preparatory meetings and rationale

The fair, organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), draws large numbers of business delegates as well as everyday visitors to its exhibition halls. Recognising the strain such a large event places on nearby roads and transport corridors, the Delhi Traffic Police conducted a briefing on 13 November at the Bharat Mandapam. Present at the briefing were senior officials from ITPO, Delhi Traffic Police and other stakeholders who will be involved in the operations during the fair period. According to the advisory, the movement of heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic in previous years had often slowed down the regular flow not only within the venue itself but also around the adjoining roads and intersections. The preparatory meeting focused on addressing this challenge by devising targeted interventions and deploying resources appropriately to manage both exhibition‑related traffic and general traffic flow.

Deployment of personnel and equipment

One of the core elements of the plan is the deployment of traffic personnel. A total of 245 traffic police staff have been assigned to work in three shifts throughout the period of the fair. These officers will be stationed at strategic points and will monitor movement in and around Pragati Maidan, covering both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The deployment also includes 15 cranes, 16 motorcycle patrol units, and three disaster‑management vehicles specifically positioned in the vicinity of the venue. These resources are intended to provide rapid response to incidents, assist in towing vehicles from no‑parking zones, and facilitate swift movement of emergency vehicles if needed.

Entry gates and visitor categorisation

To streamline entry into the exhibition complex and separate different categories of visitors, the plan earmarks dedicated entry gates for various groups. Separate gates will be used for business visitors, exhibitors, VVIPs and protocol visitors, media persons, and ITPO officials. By segregating flows in this manner, the organisers and traffic police hope to reduce congestion at the point of ingress, improve flow rates, and enhance security checks. This arrangement also allows for better crowd‑management inside the venue, since different visitor categories typically have different arrival patterns and access requirements.

Parking arrangements and signage

Parking has been identified as a critical bottleneck in earlier editions of the fair, and the new plan addresses this by clearly marking parking lots for visitors and installing directional signboards for entry, exit, and parking. The advisory states that ‘No Parking’ and ‘Tow Away’ zones have been declared around the venue, and that advisory boards reminding motorists of these restrictions have been placed accordingly. These measures aim to discourage ad‑hoc parking on adjacent roads and keep thoroughfares clear for both regular traffic and buses or other transport linked to the fair.

Support and help desks

As part of the visitor assistance program, six traffic help‑desks have been established in the area surrounding the venue. These desks will help guide visitors, provide directions, and assist in any minor traffic‑related queries or emergencies. In addition to helping fair attendees, the help‑desks are also intended to aid the general public in navigating around the heavy‑traffic zone created by the event, thereby reducing confusion and improving the overall experience for both visitors and residents.

Road‑safety awareness initiative

Recognising that large crowds and busy roads involving unfamiliar visitors can increase the risk of traffic incidents, the Delhi Traffic Police will operate a dedicated road‑safety awareness stall inside the trade fair premises. This stall will promote traffic rules, safe pedestrian behaviour, and the importance of following signage and traffic‑control instructions. By bringing this awareness directly into the venue, the organisers aim to sensitise visitors about the traffic environment around them, encourage responsible behaviour, and complement the physical traffic‑management measures being deployed.

Traffic control room and coordination

To coordinate the various strands of traffic management—parking, entry/exit, movement of vehicles and pedestrians, enforcement of no‑parking zones, emergency response and real‑time monitoring—a separate traffic control room has been set up within the ITPO Admin Block. This control room will act as the nerve‑centre for the duration of the fair. Staff there will monitor CCTV feeds, traffic‑patrol movements, crane activity, help‑desk reports, and liaise with relevant agencies in case of emergencies or congestion. Having such a central coordination hub helps ensure that responses are timely and that interventions can be made dynamically as conditions change during the two‑week‑plus fair period.

Aim and expected outcomes

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic New Delhi Range), Rajeev Kumar, these arrangements aim both to facilitate smoother movement for fair visitors and to maintain as normal a traffic flow as possible for regular road users in the area. By putting in place dedicated infrastructure, signage, staffing, and clear instructions, the intention is to minimise disruption, avoid bottlenecks and curb the spill‑over of exhibition‑related congestion onto adjacent roads. For residents, commuters and local businesses in the vicinity of Pragati Maidan, this means that the fair’s impact on daily traffic should be much better managed and less intrusive than in previous years.

Tips for visitors and general public

For fairgoers and general road users alike, the advisory offers the following practical pointers:

• Business visitors, exhibitors, media persons and VVIPs should ensure they use the correct, designated entry gate as assigned to their category, to avoid delays or confusion at the gate.
• Visitors driving to the venue are advised to make full use of the identified parking lots and follow the directional signage for entry and exit. Avoid parking in areas marked ‘No Parking’ or ‘Tow Away’ zones—vehicles in such zones will be subject to removal by cranes or tow‑units.
• Pedestrians should use the designated walkways, follow instructions from traffic personnel on the ground and pay attention to help‑desks if in doubt.
• Regular commuters in the area around Pragati Maidan during the fair period should allow for additional travel time, anticipate possible diversions or slow‑downs, and make use of alternate routes if advised.
• For those interested in traffic‑safety information or guidance, visiting the traffic‑police awareness stall inside the fair can provide helpful pointers on safe behaviour in crowded or highly trafficked environments.

Conclusion

With the fair likely to draw a significant turnout of business delegates, exhibitors and general visitors, the traffic environment around Pragati Maidan is expected to be under heavy load during the 14 – 27 November period. Recognising this, the Delhi Traffic Police and ITPO have taken a comprehensive approach—deploying personnel, equipment, signage, dedicated gates, parking and coordination infrastructure—to ensure that both the exhibition and nearby regular traffic can function with minimal disruption. At a time when large‑scale events increasingly test urban traffic systems, the 44th IITF’s traffic‑management framework reflects an evolved, proactive strategy aimed at balancing visitor convenience, exhibitor access and urban mobility.