Police Commissioner P.S. Harsha has asked Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) to remove paid parking facility and vacate street vendors on the Hamilton Circle-Rao and Rao Circle–Clock Tower stretch in Hampankatta, in light of diverting traffic for constructing a pedestrian subway near the Town Hall that commenced recently.
Dr. Harsha has said this in a letter to the Managing Director of MSCL following a host of road improvement works taken up by the company.
The two-way road between Clock Tower and A.B. Shetty Circle was made one-way because of the pedestrian underpass construction taken by the MSCL.
Traffic from A.B. Shetty Circle to Clock Tower has been diverted to the Hamilton Circle-Rao and Rao Circle-Clock Tower stretch.
In his letter, Dr. Rao said the paid parking facility on the Hamilton Circle- Rao and Rao Circle stretch was hampering smooth movement of traffic.
Street vendors on the Hamilton Circle-Rao and Rao Circle- Clock Tower stretch were also adding to traffic congestion. He expressed the need for filling potholes in the entire stretch.
While mentioning about improvement works taken up on 13 roads, footpaths and traffic junctions taken up by MSCL , near PVS Circle, Lalbagh Circle, Arya Samaj Road, Bunts Hostel, Attavar, Nellikai Road, Azizuddin Road and Ladyhill Circle, Dr. Harsha said it was imperative for the company to install boards mentioning alternative roads that motorists should use. Potholes in these alternative roads should be filled to ensure smooth movement of traffic.
The MSCL should install boards giving details about the work, the contractor executing it and time frame by which it will be completed.
Necessary barricades and other precautionary measures should be taken at the place of the work, he said.
Command centre
Dr. Harsha has also asked MSCL to develop A central command centre for the city on the lines of the Union government’s 112 helpline that will integrate civic body, traffic and fire and emergency services.
Dr. Harsha said he gave a detailed presentation recently to MSCL Managing Director and domain experts during a recent meeting.
Dr. Harsha said he had proposed development of smart bus stands with public announcement system to give alerts to commuters about the traffic situation.
He has also sought robust closed circuit television network and expressed need of a system to monitor ingress and outgress of people at the border areas of the city.
Dr. Harsha said he has proposed use of 12 unmanned aerial drones for traffic regulation and other exigencies.
