With a stream of vehicles set to head to Bhadrachalam, the most sought after venue for Godavari Pushkaralu, from all corners of the State and elsewhere from July 14-25, the district police have worked out a multi-pronged strategy envisaging use of mobile messaging services for traffic management.
All the vehicles, barring the RTC buses, will be stopped at various points (designated parking slots) at a distance of 2 km and 5 km from the decades-old bridge connecting the temple town with the rest of the district.
According to the draft traffic management plan, no vehicles will be allowed to ply on the bridge across the Godavari and enter into the temple town during the 12-day event.
However, the RTC will operate shuttle services between the designated parking slots proposed in Burgumpadu mandal and the temple town.
Although no decision has been taken in regard to allowing the vehicles of VIPs to ply on the narrow bridge at the temple town, it is believed that the VIPs’ vehicles will be permitted to pass through the bridge as per protocol norms.
The traffic restrictions have been incorporated in the action plan keeping in view the travails faced by the pilgrims due to utter traffic chaos on the narrow bridge across the Godavari at Bhadrachalam during the previous Godavari Pushkaralu held in 2003, sources said.
The police higher ups have mooted optimum use of the instant messaging service – WhatsApp, setting up of a district level WhatsApp network, and a helpline centre to effectively implement the traffic management strategy during the 12-day river fete.
The move is intended to harness the mobile messaging service for exchanging information between the personnel at the ground level and the control room on the movement of vehicular traffic for preventing traffic jams.
Superintendent of Police Shahnawaz Qasim held a series of review meetings with the divisional and circle level police officials with a thrust on traffic management plan for the Godavari Pushkaralu in the last couple of days.
A plan of action has been approved to entrust the task of traffic management in Bhadrachalam town to an officer of the rank of DSP, set up check posts at six vantage points on the main roads leading to Bhadrachalam during the 12-day mega river festival.
