The Uttarakhand police made all efforts to ensure a smooth and convenient passage for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall during their visit to Dehradun on Thursday. The convenience of local commuters was also taken care of, claimed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kewal Khurana.
In order to ensure proper security arrangements, extra police personnel were brought from different parts of the state. Khurana informed that around 150 constables, PSC personnel and about half a dozen gazetted officers were brought to the city from Haridwar and other places.
As per the schedule the royal couple reached the Indian Military Academy (IMA) from where Prince Charles went to the Forest Research Institute (FRI). Proper traffic arrangements were ensured on the routes used by the motorcade of the visitors. The prince later visited Beeja Vidyapeeth farm before leaving for the hotel in the evening.
According to SP (Traffic) Pradeep Rai, traffic was halted for some time at different places. The traffic was stopped mainly at these major routes including Natraj Chowk in Rishikesh for five minutes and at places like Jolly Grant, Doiwala, Premnagar, Rispana Bridge, Kargi Chowk, ISBT, Ballupur Chowk and near IMA for a maximum of eight minutes.
Khurana said that parking of the local transport buses and small vehicles was also banned along the major routes. He added that local transporters were asked to park their vehicles at some local grounds. The traffic coming from Rishikesh to Dehradun was diverted to Dudhli and traffic was also diverted at Jhajra.
When asked whether the diversion and parking arrangements could be implemented on a routine basis he replied,”We will try to maintain the same traffic arrangements on regular basis and instruct the officials to keep a check on illegal parking at major places of the city”.