The city is all set to welcome Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday. With back-to-back visits of the Prime Minister and the President scheduled from Monday to Wednesday, the city is under tight security cover.
The Prime Minister, who will arrive at INS Garuda, the naval airport at Southern Naval Command here, will lay the foundation stone of the Integrated Refinery Expansion Project at BPCL Kochi Refinery, Ambalamugal, at 4.30 pm.
On Tuesday Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013 at Hotel Le Meridian at 9.30 pm. He will leave Kochi on the same day.
President Pranab Mukherjee will address the valedictory function at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at 5 pm on Wednesday.
The police have imposed traffic regulations on Monday and Tuesday in the wake of the VVIP visits.
A statement from the City police chief has directed the public to avoid the route from Kakkanad Rajagiri Valley Road to Irumpanam Junction via Infopark and Irumpanam Junction to Ambalamugal from 3 pm to 6 pm on Monday.
Traffic has been restricted from Mattanchery wharf, Port Trust, Port Trust Hospital Junction to Ernakulam via Bristo Road, all junctions and byroads from Mattanchery Wharf to Taj Malabar and Vembanand Gate, ATS Junction, BOT Taj Vivanta and from Taj Vivanta to Vathuruthi Road from 5 pm to 6 pm.
On Monday, tanker and tipper lorries are not allowed to travel towards Infopark, Irumpanam, Ambalamugal, Karingachira, Petta and Tripunithura from 2 pm to 8 pm. On Tuesday from 8.45 am to 11 am there will be traffic restriction at all junctions and byroads from Willingdon Island, Taj Vivanta to Mattanchery Wharf, Vathuruthy BOT, Bristo Road, Thevara Ferry and Kundannoor. Parking will be restricted between 3 pm to 6 pm from Rajagiri Engineering College to the Infopark Main Gate. Vehicles will not be allowed to park at the Irumpanam Junction.
Parking ban
There will be a complete parking ban from 3 pm on Monday to 3 pm on Tuesday along the Bristo Road from Port Trust, Mattanchery Wharf, Port Trust Hospital Junction upto Taj Malabar and Vembanad lake and ATS Junction. People are not allowed to park vehicles from Kundannoor to Vivant Taj, via BOT East Road. Those vehicles which violate the norms will be confisticated. The police have also ensured that sufficient way will be made for ambulances and Fire Force services. Kakkanad and Tripunithura towns have been excluded from the regulations.