Pre-Cov puja-like arrangements for year-end traffic movement
Times of India | 28 December 2024
12 Kolkata: Cops will revert to the 2019 Durga Puja-like traffic arrangement for Dec 31-Jan 1 traffic movement, where each hotspot will see selective barricading to ensure no pedestrian spillover on to the roads. Cops will be deployed in two batches — once around 9 am at hotspots like Alipore zoo, Victoria Memorial, Birla Planetarium, Science City and Indian Museum but the maximum deployment will be from 3 pm in the Park Street-Camac Street-New Market area.
Police will keep as many as 300 men ready between Alipore zoo and Maidan in the morning to keep the traffic moving. Similarly, another 250 men will be on duty around Maidan and Esplanade in the morning. "Special channels will be created and signal timings tweaked to allow pedestrians enough time for crossovers. There will be several children and we will be careful that no one is stranded on the road before the signal turns green for vehicles," said an officer.
Smooth pedestrian and traffic flow will be a top priority on the last day of the year, with cops making elaborate plans to set up specific channels for both revellers and vehicles on Park Street. A separate arrangement has been prepared for new party zones on the Bypass connectors, especially Kasba. By evening, teams from the watch section of DD, the all-women Winners Team, and the QRT will be out around Park Street to stop illegal activities.
Cops stated they will keep Park Street open – as much as possible – using about 2.5 metres of road space. This channel will be solely used by pedestrians heading towards Allen Park. The pavements will accommodate those trying to dine out. Kolkata Police and the state pollution control board have declared several measures to ensure that bursting firecrackers around midnight does not become a menace on New Year's Eve. Senior PCB officers will be manning the Central Command and Control Centre at PCB headquarters through its 150 real-time air and noise monitoring centres across the state.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword.