Kolkata Police uses weekend traffic to fine-tune city centre plans for yr-end
Times of India | 28 December 2025
Kolkata: Kolkata Police got an early preview of the New Year traffic situation as thousands of revellers poured into city hotspots over the last weekend of the year. Locations from Alipore zoo and Princep Ghat to Eco Park and Science City were crowded, keeping officers on constant alert.
By Saturday afternoon, Alipore zoo turned into a sea of people, prompting the deployment of around 300 policemen outside the premises. Another 400 personnel were posted between Esplanade and the Maidan as visitors from Kolkata and neighbouring districts thronged popular recreational zones.
"The zoo always gets extremely crowded around Christmas and New Year, so we thought the weekend would be slightly easier," said Pallabi Sengupta, a Purbachal resident who visited Alipore zoo with her niece. "But by afternoon, it was already overflowing."
The pressure was equally visible in central Kolkata. New Market was bursting at the seams, with shoppers jostling for space while buying decorations, food items, and party essentials. "We're hosting a friends' get-together on Saturday, so we came to New Market to pick up party materials for our terrace celebration on Dec 31," said Priyangshu Dutta of New Alipore, navigating through packed alleys.
With the New Year's Eve rush expected to surpass weekend crowds, Kolkata Police announced that the traffic management plan followed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be reinstated on Dec 31 and Jan 1. Arrangements will mirror Durga Puja-style traffic control, with selective barricading at key locations to prevent pedestrians from spilling onto carriageways.
A two-phase deployment has been planned to manage both traffic flow and pedestrian safety. The first phase will begin around 9 am at major crowd magnets such as Alipore zoo, Victoria Memorial, Birla Planetarium, Science City, and the Indian Museum. From 3 pm onwards, maximum deployment will shift to the Park Street–Camac Street–New Market corridor, traditionally the epicentre of New Year celebrations.
In the morning hours, around 500 officers will be stationed between Alipore zoo and the Maidan. Another 350 will handle traffic around Maidan and Esplanade. The stretch from Alipore zoo to Park Street will see a deployment of over 3,500 personnel. Inspectors will lead teams even inside malls experiencing unusually high footfall. Quick Reaction Teams, the all-women Winners Unit, and drone surveillance over Park Street and Alipore zoo will add additional layers of security.
Special pedestrian channels have been created, and signal timings adjusted to allow safer crossings, especially for children. Park Street will be kept open for traffic, with a 2.5-metre-wide pedestrian corridor leading towards Allen Park, while pavements will be reserved for diners. Separate arrangements have also been made for emerging party zones along EM Bypass connectors, particularly around Kasba.
To rein in noise and air pollution during midnight celebrations, Kolkata Police and the state PCB have announced strict restrictions. Firecrackers will be allowed only between 11.55 pm on Dec 31 and 12:30 am on Jan 1, limited to eco-friendly varieties. Use of microphones and loudspeakers will be banned from 10 pm to 6 am. Senior PCB officials will monitor air and noise levels.