Kolkata Police will intensify traffic enforcement during Durga Puja this year, with helmetless riders, overloaded two-wheelers and vehicles without valid documents facing detention and possible seizure, according to a report by Anandabazar. The plan follows internal discussions at Lalbazar on managing night-time traffic and preventing dangerous violations during the festival.
The enforcement drive will focus particularly on motorcycles and scooters carrying three or four people, riders without helmets and vehicles being driven recklessly. A traffic department officer told Anandabazar that the police would not extend the usual festival-period leniency to such violations.
“If a violation is seen, action will be taken. If a rider is not wearing a helmet, documents will be sought. If valid documents are not available, the motorcycle or scooter will be seized,” the officer was quoted as saying.
The police also plan to conduct naka checks at several locations identified in advance across the city. Vehicles found violating traffic rules at these checkpoints could be seized if their owners or riders do not have valid papers. The enforcement measures are intended to address recurring road-safety risks during the festival, when large numbers of visitors travel through Kolkata at night.
According to the report, vehicles seized during the puja period may not be released immediately. Under the existing process, owners generally have to approach the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) to seek release of a detained vehicle. That office remains closed during the puja holidays, meaning vehicles seized during the festival could remain in police custody until the office reopens.
Lalbazar has therefore asked traffic guards to identify spaces in advance for storing seized cars, motorcycles and scooters. Police sources said vehicles had been seized during earlier festivals as well, but the number of detained vehicles had at times created a shortage of storage space. This year’s advance preparation is intended to address that operational constraint.
The traffic police are also preparing an expanded Puja Map for the city. It will identify newer puja locations and provide information on festival-related route restrictions. According to the report, traffic regulations on some roads may differ from the arrangements followed during the rest of the year.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Prabhat Jain said the map would be published in advance so that residents and visitors could plan their journeys. He also said the police would place particular emphasis on naka checks to improve road safety during the festival.
The enforcement plan comes against a history of serious road crashes during Durga Puja and other festivals, including incidents involving overloaded or helmetless two-wheelers. The police’s next public step will be the release of the Puja Map, including the locations of puja venues and the temporary route regulations that will apply during the celebrations.
