The city police have backtracked on their plan to segregate men and women on M.G. Road during the New Year celebrations, focussing instead on enhancing security arrangements.
Amid speculation of how the proposal to create separate lanes for men and women at the busy and crowded junction will be implemented, city Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar said here on Wednesday there would be no such restrictions for visitors, and added that people would be “requested not to force their wishes on others”.
He, however, refused to give reasons as to why the police had to drop the plan.
Mr. Kumar’s plan for M.G. Road and Brigade Road — which stemmed from incidents last year, when multiple women had complained of molestation — had met with mixed responses. A section termed the move “regressive” while others welcomed it.
Mr. Kumar announced at the press conference that the deadline for the New Year celebrations across the city has been fixed at 2 a.m. The police have also decided to close some flyovers from 10 p.m. on Sunday to the early hours of Monday to keep a check on rash driving and other stunts.
The Commissioner also said 15,000 police personnel would be deployed across the city to ensure law and order and 500 CCTV cameras, including 300 surveillance cameras, will be installed on M.G. Road, Brigade Road and Church Street.
There will be 500 Hoysalas and 250 police bikes patrolling the entire city.
He also added that checks on drunk driving would be carried out strictly and that the police have been instructed to take stringent action against mischief-mongers.
