New Year's Eve in Chennai: Metro rail to operate till 1 am, new traffic arrangements

The Chennai Metro Rail will operate till 1 am on January 1 to help the public travel back home after New Year’s Eve celebrations. 

In a statement issued on Monday night, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) announced that its services will be operational till 1 am on January 1. “Train services on December 31, 2019, will be operated with 28 minutes of headway from 11 pm to 1 am on January 2, 2020, without peak hours,” read the announcement. 

The Chennai city traffic police have also issued a statement of the elaborate arrangements made in the city. In a press release, the police said that after 9 pm on Tuesday, vehicle checks will be conducted at 368 important junctions in the city, including Triplicane, Pulianthope, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Adyar, Mylapore, Kilpauk, St Thomas Mount and T Nagar, among other places. 

The driver's licenses of those who get caught for driving under the influence of alcohol will be cancelled and their names will be added to the serious offenders’ list. This would make police clearance for passport and visa verification, the police said. 

Help centres will be arranged with 25 patrol vehicles at crowded places for crowd control, stated the release.  

In an attempt to prevent bike racing within the city, the police have also deployed special teams along the East Coast Road (ECR) at Neelangarai, Thuraipakkam, Thiruvanmiyur, Outer Ring Road etc. Security will also be increased at temples and churches across the city all through midnight, as people will gather to welcome the new year with prayers. 

Around 15,000 police personnel will be deployed around the city to manage the crowd and ensure things are smooth. To ensure a safe gathering, All Terrain Vehicles have been deployed along the beaches in Marina, Santhome, Besant Nagar and Neelankarai, where a large number of people are expected to gather. Drones have also been deployed at crucial junctions in the city to monitor the crowd. 

Traffic Diversions for NYE

• The inner roads on Marina Beach will be cordoned off by 8 pm on Tuesday with barricades. No vehicles will be permitted to enter inner roads from 8 pm on Tuesday. 
• Vehicles already at the inner road will be allowed to exit via Kamarajar Salai only till 8 pm on Tuesday. After 8 pm, vehicles can exit only via the road behind Light House. 
• The stretch on Kamarajar Salai from Gandhi Statue to War Memorial will be closed for vehicular movement from 8 pm on Tuesday to 4 am on Wednesday. 
• Vehicles heading towards War Memorial from RBI subway and Walajah point will be diverted via Flag Staff road towards Anna Salai from 8 pm on Tuesday. 
• Vehicles heading towards Gandhi Statue to get to Anna Salai will be diverted via Katcheri Road, Luz and Royapettah. 
• Vehicles from Karaneeswarar temple will not be permitted to proceed towards Kamarajar Salai. They can use Santhome high road instead. 
• Besant Nagar 6th Avenue will be closed for vehicular traffic from 8 pm on Tuesday to 4 am on Wednesday.

Parking spots for revellers

For Marina Beach: Queen Marys college campus, Swamy Sivananda salai, Railway parking zone on Lloyds Road in Chepauk, Dr Besant road and Lloyds road. 

For Elliots Beach: Besant Nagar third and fourth main road and second, third, fourth and fifth avenues.