A comprehensive crowd control plan will be in place for the New Year Celebrations in Fort Kochi on the intervening night of Wednesday (December 31, 2025) and Thursday (January 1, 2026), top district officials said here on Tuesday (December 30, 2025).
Around 1,200 police personnel, including 13 Deputy Superintendents of Police, 28 Inspectors, and 163 sub-inspectors from within and outside the district, will be deployed for crowd management and maintaining law and order, said District Police Chief (Kochi City) Putta Vimaladitya. New Year celebrations, mainly the burning of Pappanji effigies, will be held this year at Parade Ground and Veli Ground.
Flying drones in the Carnival area without prior permission has been banned, Mr. Vimaladitya said.
Traffic regulations
Vehicle entry via the Ro-Ro ferry from Vypeen to Fort Kochi will be allowed only until 4 p.m. on December 31. Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., only pedestrians and the public can use the Ro-Ro service. After 7 p.m., Ro-Ro services from Fort Kochi will be suspended.
All vehicles arriving at the Vypeen Jankar Jetty after 4 p.m. must be parked in a parallel manner along LNG Road from Kalamukku Junction. Only service buses will be allowed to the jetty after 4 p.m.
Both Ro-Ro ferries will be anchored at Fort Kochi Jetty after 7 p.m. and will continuously carry passengers from Fort Kochi to Vypeen.
Vehicles coming from Alappuzha to Ernakulam must take the Aroor–Kundannoor–Vyttila route from noon onwards, as entry via Edakochi will be restricted. After 4 p.m., no vehicles will be allowed into Fort Kochi by road. If crowds increase, entry restrictions may be enforced earlier, and vehicles will be stopped at outer points such as BOT, Swift Junction, Kannangatt, Edakochi, the south side of Perumpadappu Bridge, and Puthenthodu. The old Mattancherry Bridge will be made one-way, allowing only outgoing traffic from Fort Kochi via Thoppumpady.
Private and KSRTC buses transporting the public from Ernakulam, Edakochi, and Thoppumpady must terminate at the Fort Kochi bus stand by 5 p.m. After 5 p.m., all buses will stop at the temporary bus stand at Cochin College Ground in Mattancherry. People returning from Fort Kochi can walk to the ground and board connecting buses from there. After midnight, KSRTC and private buses will be available for the return journey from Cochin College and Vypeen.
Vehicles will be blocked at the following locations: BOT East Junction, CIFT Junction, BOT West Junction (near the court), Edakochi Bridge, Pashnithode Bridge, south side of Perumpadappu Bridge, Puthenthodu Junction, Pappangamukku, Jubilee Junction, Manthra Bridge, Pallathu Raman Junction, Veli West Dronacharya Road, and Veli West K.B. Jacob Road.
Designated parking areas include Aspinwall Ground, Cabral Yard Ground, St. Paul’s School Ground, Delta School Ground, Oceanus East Side Ground, Bishop House Front, Dronacharya Main Gate (north side, inside fencing), Dronacharya Main Gate (south side up to Odatha, inside fencing), Veli School Ground, east and west sides of the road from Kemperi Junction (Convent Road and Ajantha Road), Pandikkudi Junction to Old Shap Junction, west side of the road from Koovappadam to Parippu Junction, Cochin College Ground, TD School Ground, Aasia Bai School Ground, MMOVHS Ground, South Moolamkuzhi CC Group Ground, vacant land at Thoppumpady Junction, and Thoppumpady Corporation Stadium Ground. Vehicles coming via Vypeen must park on both sides of LNG Terminal Road at Puthuvype near Kalamukku.
Vehicles of Fort Kochi residents parked along the roads will be moved to designated grounds such as St. Paul’s School Ground and Delta School Ground (South Gate). Vehicles of visitors staying in hotels and homestays should not be parked on the roads.
District Collector G. Priyanka, Kochi Mayor V.K. Minimol, and Sub-Collector Grandhe Sai Krishna also addressed the media, urging the public to strictly follow safety guidelines during the celebrations.
Published – December 30, 2025 08:41 pm IST
