KOLKATA: Cops will take a cue out of Kolkata Police’s efficient crowd management protocol during Durga Puja to control traffic and pedestrians at Park Street on New Year’s Eve.
The huge crowd at Park Street, Alipore zoo and other city hot spots on Christmas Eve and Christmas prompted cops to redraw their crowd management plan for the next weekend when a larger crowd is expected. Officers at the police headquarters hinted at doubling cop presence on the streets.
Unlike Christmas when Park Street was made no-entry for traffic after 4.30pm and the area turned into a walking zone, the police will not shut traffic there on New Year’s Eve. Lalbazar also plans to launch a major mask drive. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 493 persons were hauled up for not wearing masks, but cops gave up after a while as the offenders numbered in the thousands.
Police also cracked down on disorderly conduct, arresting 113 people over the weekend. Cops also slapped 57 drink- driving cases and 3,220 people were prosecuted for traffic violations. The maximum prosecutions and arrests happened in south Kolkata and areas bordering Bypass.
The detective department officers also arrested eight persons from Park Street on Christmas and seven persons from the zoo on Sunday for harassing women and creating nuisance near the cages. The crowd at the zoo on Sunday was 70,000 strong.
Cops will also continue nakas every night. Though night nakas had been removed for the festive week, they will be back due to the massive rise in drink-driving cases and several instances of nuisance.
The traffic-flow plan for the morning will take into account the pressure on Bypass as people travel to Eco Park, Nicco Park and Science City. There will be additional cop presence around the zoo, Victoria Memorial Hall, Park Circus, Exide crossing and Science City. “Vehicles going towards Behala, Alipore and New Alipore may be told to use Red Road and Mayo Road from Esplanade and Dalhousie,” an officer said.
