BANGALORE: With two major festivals of Deepavali and Ramzan approaching, Bangalore City Traffic Police have taken steps to ensure a smooth flow of traffic enabling people to get buses and trains in time starting Thursday.

The last two festival seasons — Ganesha Chaturthi and Navarathri — witnessed abnormal traffic congestion around the Majestic area during the evenings as thousands of people thronged the Kempe Gowda Bus Station and City Railway Station. This caused traffic pile up that extended beyond Hudson Circle.

On Thursday, a similar situation likely to prevail in the heart of the city as the State Government has declared holiday on Friday Monday and Tuesday.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.N. Reddy told The Hindu that the police were taking several precautionary measures to ensure a free flow of traffic.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East) M.A. Saleem said the Seshadri Road would be made two-way allowing traffic towards Rajajinagar to pass through the Khoday Circle.

KSRTC buses, which start from depots in Shanthinagar towards Kempe Gowda Bus Station would be made to ply via Royan Circe, Mysore Road and Goods Shed Road to reach Majestic, he said.

Additional buses

KSRTC will deploy over 700 additional buses to cater to the festival rush. KSRTC's all regular trips on these days are fully booked 10 days in advance and the corporation will operate special buses between October 19 and 26.

Meanwhile, private tour operators have planned to deploy additional buses.

They were not prepared to come on record as a majority of their buses are permitted to operate as All India Tourist buses and they operate as regular stage carriage buses.

It is learnt that all major bus companies in South Canara, Udupi, Hubli-Dharwad and Bangalore will deploy as many additional buses as possible.

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