The weekend tourist hub in front of the Ujjayanta Palace will reopen on December 17. The hub was closed for a few days for Durga Puja and Diwali.
The Tripura Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) announced that a slew of new measures had been taken for the convenience of tourists in view of the reopening of the weekend tourist hub.
The TTDC said that the weekend tourist hub will now be open only on Sundays from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Importantly, Tthe no-parking zone in the Ujjayanta Palace complex – which in force in Weekend Hub during the pre-Dirga puja period – will no longer be in effect.
Cultural programs will be organized in the vacant area to the right of the main gate of Ujjayanta Palace.
For the safety and security of tourists, there will be police patrolling in plain clothes, monitoring from the watch tower, and CCTV cameras in the area.
The decision to reopen the Weekend Hub with the withdrawal of ‘no-parking zone’ tag in the iconic Ujjayanta Palace area brought both cheers and relief.
The Weekend Hub was gaining popularity. However, the traffic restriction covering a vast area near the Palace was reportedly a major issue. According to local media, the ‘no parking zone’ created troubles for the tourists as well as common local people. The city witnessed traffic snarls for long hours. As no vehicles, not even rickshaws were allowed, the weekend Hub effectively excluded the elderly people from enjoying the Hub.
Local food vendors also complained that footfalls in their stalls during the weekend Hub fell drastically owing to movement of fewer people. According to them, they witnessed more customers during weekdays when there was no traffic restriction.
Prior to reopening of the Weekend Hub, Tourism Minister of Tripura Sushanta Chowdhury held a meeting with the officials and other stakeholders. The reopening of the Hub without traffic restriction is a practical decision, opined the food vendors.