No restriction on vehicle plying near major thoroughfares during Pujas in Howrah

Kolkata: The Howrah City Police has prepared an elaborate plan to ensure plying of vehicles on all major thoroughfares during Durga Puja which will help people avail public transport without facing any inconvenience.

Unlike Kolkata, the roads in Howrah are not that wide. There are even roads where there are no proper pavements. So there is no other way out for people apart from walking on roads to reach their favourite Puja mandaps. It earlier used to create a traffic snarl and finally police had to stop plying of vehicles on certain stretches of the roads falling mainly in North and Central Howrah. From this year onwards there will be no restriction on plying of vehicles on major thoroughfares as the police are going to control the crowd in such a way that plying of vehicles on the road would not be a problem anymore.

There are big Pujas in and around Drainage Canal Road, GT Road and Salkia School Road.

D P Singh, Commissioner of Howrah Police Commissionerate said: "We always see to it that people do not have to face any inconvenience. Earlier, there used to be no entry on majority of important roads. But now we are trying to make vehicles ply on the roads so that common people can avail the transport facilities without facing any inconvenience." Moreover, there will also be certain restrictions on plying of totos. The battery-operated vehicles which are meant for last minute transport will not be allowed to ply on certain roads to avoid congestion. At the same time, residents of Howrah are going to get respite from not being able to reach up to their houses in their cars during the Puja days. Sources said the Howrah Police will be issuing car passes to its owners allowing them to drive up to their home through the roads near Puja mandaps on which plying of vehicles may get restricted. There are many such roads in Howrah where plying of vehicles get restricted as they are too close to Puja mandaps. Earlier, even residents of these areas were not allowed to take their cars to their houses through these roads. But from now onwards they would not have to face such problems.