Puri: To ensure the safety of lakhs of devotees and facilitate seamless crowd movement during the annual Rath Yatra, Puri police on Tuesday enforced No-Vehicle Zones across several key stretches of the pilgrim town.
The traffic restrictions will remain in force on roads leading to the Shree Jagannath Temple and the Grand Road, with only a limited number of designated shuttle and emergency vehicles permitted to operate in the restricted areas.
According to the traffic plan, vehicular movement has been prohibited on the Grand Road from Hospital Crossing to the Shree Jagannath Temple.
Similar restrictions will be in place on the Yatrika–Digabareni Chhaka stretch, except for authorised shuttle and emergency vehicles.
The No-Vehicle Zone will also cover the roads from Jhadeswari Chhaka to Hospital Crossing, Jail Road Parking to Hospital Crossing, Brushav Chhaka to the temple, Solakhia Baragachha to the temple, and Mochisahi Chhaka to the temple.
The measures are aimed at preventing traffic congestion and ensuring the smooth movement of the lakhs of pilgrims expected to throng Puri for the world-famous chariot festival. Designated parking facilities have been created on the outskirts of the town, while shuttle services will ferry devotees to locations closer to the temple.
