By Avni Arya

Copyright timesnownews

Kolkata Traffic: Kolkata residents and commuters have been advised to plan their travel carefully on October 5 as the city gears up for the “Immersion Carnival” along Red Road. The Commissioner of Police, Manoj Kumar Verma, has issued a comprehensive traffic notification to prevent danger, obstruction, or inconvenience to the public during the event. Restrictions on Goods and Private Vehicles All types of goods vehicles, except immersion-related vehicles, will be restricted along AJC Bose Road from Exide crossing to Hastings crossing, New Road, Dufferin Road, Lovers Lane, and Red Road from 12:00 hrs to 15:00 hrs. From 15:00 hrs onwards, existing restrictions on goods vehicles for Mahalaya, Durga Puja, and Laxmi Puja 2025 will remain in force, as per Traffic Notification No. TP/36 dated 9 September 2025. Khidderpore Road from Hastings crossing to Lovers Lane will be closed to vehicular traffic from 14:00 hrs, except for immersion vehicles and vehicles using Vidyasagar Setu. Similarly, Hospital Road northbound from its crossing with AJC Bose Road will be closed to all vehicles except immersion-related ones from 14:00 hrs until the programme concludes. Only stickered vehicles will be allowed along Mayo Road westbound from J L Nehru Road crossing as deemed necessary. Road Closures and Parking Prohibitions Several roads will remain closed from 14:00 hrs until the event ends, including Red Road, Lovers Lane, Queensway, Plassey Gate Road, and the Esplanade Ramp. Red Road will also be closed earlier for infrastructural preparations from 00:00 hrs to 09:00 hrs on 5 October, and traffic will be regulated along the road from 09:00 hrs to 14:00 hrs as required. Parking will be prohibited on key roads including Government Place West (between R R Avenue and Esplanade Row West), Chowringhee Road, J L Nehru Road, Cathedral Road, Queensway, Mayo Road, Strand Road, Bentinck Street (western flank between C R Avenue and G C Avenue), R N Mukherjee Road (both sides), Hare Street, and Old Court House Street (western side between Government Place North and Larkin Lane) from 12:00 hrs until the event ends or as directed by traffic police. Public Guidance for Safety and Convenience Spectators on foot are advised to use AJC Bose Road, Chowringhee Road, Outram Road, Mayo Road, or R R Avenue rather than Khidderpore Road. Those arriving by tram, metro, or bus should alight at Esplanade or Park Street before proceeding to public enclosures. For safety, the police have urged people not to lean on barricades or crowd enclosures, advising spectators to sit down and allow space for others, particularly women and children, to enjoy the event safely. Vehicular traffic may be diverted from arterial and feeder roads as deemed necessary by traffic police during the carnival. The notification, issued under multiple sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Calcutta Police Act, will come into effect alongside existing traffic regulations in the city. Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma emphasised that these measures aim to ensure both public safety and smooth traffic management during one of Kolkata’s largest cultural gatherings.