By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhiites may face traffic chaos during the three-day India-ASEAN summit during which much movement of VVIP state guests and their motorcades is expected.
Senior Delhi Police and security officers are planning how to avoid the traffic snarls that are likely during the Dec 19-21 India-ASEAN summit in the capital, when a vintage car rally is also planned as part of the high-profile meet.
“As ten heads of different countries will be in the capital for the ASEAN summit, it can affect some parts of the city roads during the the VVIPs’ movement. But, keeping in view public facility, we are planning to avoid maximum traffic disruption,” said a senior Delhi Police officer.
For reasons of security, the timing of the movement of the heads of countries attending the ASEAN summit cannot be revealed, said the officer.
The summit is being attended by the Sultan of Brunei, the prime ministers of Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, the presidents of Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, and the vice president of the Phillippines.
The officer said that the traffic would be diverted a few hours before the VVIP movement.
As it is mandatory to follow the security protocol for such high-level dignitaries, traffic on arterial roads in New Delhi area will be blocked or diverted during each VIP movement as also from the airport to their hotels.
Traffic snarls can be expected at Sardar Patel Marg, around hotels in south and New Delhi where the visiting heads of states and governments will stay, and venues of the summit.
Sources said the dignitaries will start arriving Dec 19.
The schedule includes a car rally from Vigyan Bhavan Dec 20.
The rally will be followed by the India-ASEAN conference. Most of the dignitaries will leave the same day, which is likely to result in massive traffic disruptions on way to the airport.
An hawk eye vigil will be kept on every high-rise building during the VVIP movements, for which specially trained sleuths have been deputed, the officer added.