Chauffeurs for tipsy customers this New Year
Pubs and restaurants in the dining districts of the city have decided to keep a pool of chauffeurs to drop tipsy customers home, in a move aimed at reducing the number of accidents caused by drink driving which sees a spike during the Christmas-New Year period. The Hotels and Restaurants Association of Eastern India have taken the decision for the festive period after a prolonged discussion with pub and bar owners of Park Street, Esplanade and Salt Lake. It has also been proposed to keep desks of app-based cab services in shopping malls.
Soon, charge your cars under flyovers
With all major automobile manufacturers slated to bring out electric vehicles which is expected to receive good response in polluted Kolkata, city Mayor Firhad has sent a proposal to Calcutta Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) to introduce electric charging stations under major flyovers where electric vehicles could be charged. At present, there are only a few charging points, that too, mostly in New Town. CESC has estimated that the city would require around 130 charging stations. Apart from private vehicles, around 30 per cent of the buses are also expected to go electric by 2030. With the city topping the pollution charts recently, switching to electric vehicles could help bring the state’s soaring air and vehicular pollution.
KMC to run repairs on all city roads
In an attempt to bring uniformity in work and prevent loss of time in clashes over jurisdiction, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has officially taken responsibility of maintaining all city roads, including major and arterial roads that were earlier maintained by several state agencies Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), Public Works Department (PWD) and Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT).
The move came after KMC locked horns with KMDA and PWD over repair of several stretches of roads that required immediate attention.
With mercury dipping, Kolkatans chill out
With evening temperatures hovering around 13 degrees, many city residents are making the most of the chill by spending the weekends with family at landmarks such as Alipore Zoo, Victoria Memorial and Eco Park and are digging into a bowl of hot ‘Thukpa’ or a plate of steaming ‘Momos’ to beat the cold in the evenings. With the temperatures in the first week of December being one of the lowest in the past five years, Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore predicts a chilly winter ahead.