Thiruvananthapuram: Traffic signals in the city are being switched off more often for policemen to manually control vehicle movement as vehicle density has shot up during Onam. Multiple signals at East Fort and the ones at Pattom, Pettah, Edappazhinji and Keshavadasapuram were among those being switched off. Also more personnel were deployed at Thycaud, Choorakattupalayam, Killipalam, Thiruvallam, Attakulangara and the smaller junctions that do not have signals.
“The wait to cross the signal at Pattom junction to proceed from Marappalam to Murinjapalam has risen by three times. Early in the morning, police switch off the signal. The average commute time has gone up,” said S Satheeshan of Ambalamukku. South Traffic Circle Inspector Anil Kumar T said that vehicles that were parked in a way that creates an obstruction were being towed around East Fort, Thakaraparambu and Thampanoor as bottlenecks have grown bigger. Since school holidays have begun, parking spaces had been arranged at school grounds, said City Police Commissioner P Prakash.
The schools that offer a parking facility include St Joseph’s, Attakulangara Central school, Fort school, Chalai Boys and Girls schools, Peroorkada girls school, Salvation Army , St Anthony’s and Pettah government. Parking will also be available at LBS, Barton Hill, LMS ground, Government Arts College, Vazhuthacaud Chalachitra academy compound, Jimmy George stadium premises and Vellayambalam Water Authority compound.
1,500 more policemen to ensure security in capital
The city police would deploy around 1,500 additional men in the city as a part of Onam security arrangements, city police commissioner P Prakash said. Police will also open special control rooms at Kanakakunnu, East Fort, Poojapura, Kazhakoottam, Central stadium and Kovalam. Two Deputy Commissioners, 13 Assistant Commissioners, 18 circle inspectors, 110 sub inspectors will be pressed into service. Apart from the existing 223 CCTV cameras, a hundred more will be installed at Kanakakunnu, Shangumugham and Veli which people throng to.
Not less than 30 cameras mounted on moving vehicles are expected to combat the rising number of pickpocket cases. Special bypass patrol squads will be rolled out to keep a watch on highway bypass stretches. Watch towers will be installed at various places and special border checking will be organised at entry points to the city by the bomb squad. The mounted police, and booster bikes patrol parties have been directed to scout the bylanes to thwart chain snatchers. An appeal has gone out to citizens who go out of station to inform either their local police station or send an email at cptvm.pol@kerala.gov.in with their specific addresses and the period they would be out of station.
