No blanket shutdown, cops to keep Park St traffic moving on NY Eve
Times of India | 27 December 2025
Kolkata: Buoyed by what it described as a smooth and largely disruption-free Christmas, Kolkata Police has decided against a blanket shutdown of Park Street on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Instead, they will use flexible, situation-based traffic regulation to manage the expected festive surge.
With large crowds anticipated across popular celebration hubs over the weekend, and into Jan 1, cops finalised a set of special traffic arrangements. Park Street and other major arterial roads will remain open for most of the day, with temporary closures being considered only late into the night on New Year's Eve.
"It was a planned shutdown on Christmas but we realised that even without closing Park Street for long, we could manage vehicular movement well. This time, our effort will be to keep the road open on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. There may be a brief closure around midnight, when crowds peak, but otherwise, traffic will be allowed," an officer said.
For many commuters, the decision comes as a relief. "Last year, getting out of central Kolkata after work was a nightmare," said Anirban Ghosh, who travels daily through Esplanade.
The traffic plan includes periodic restrictions on vehicles approaching Park Street from the JL Nehru Road-Lindsay Street crossing if congestion builds up near Park Street flyover. In such cases, vehicles will be diverted over the flyover and into the Park Street zone via Ho Chi Minh Sarani. Additional personnel will be deployed to man barricades, ensuring they remain intact.
If required, south-bound vehicles from CR Avenue and SN Banerjee Road heading beyond Exide may be diverted through RR Avenue and Red Road towards SSKM Hospital. To further reduce crowd-vehicle conflict, police will try to keep key approach routes — including Kyd Street, Free School Street, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Camac Street, and Short Street largely pedestrian-free.
Security will also be stepped up across the area, with 10 deputy commissioners overseeing Park Street.