All 35,000 slots each for Thursday and Saturday were booked within a few hours of reservation opening for the much-awaited air show at the Sukhna Lake, said Chandigarh Adviser Dharam Pal adding that every person has been given 6 square feet area to watch the show.
The Adviser specified that 40 per cent bookings of all the 70,000 slots were made by people from outside the Tricity.
“We have received a tremendous response. The moment we opened the app for the public, within a few hours, the slots were all booked. Many are coming to see the show from different states,” Pal said.
He added, “A special team had measured and made slots for people under which every person would be given a six square feet area to witness the show.”
CTU bus service to be affected today
As 400 CTU (Chandigarh Transport Undertaking) buses were deployed for ferrying visitors to the Air Show venue of Sukhna Lake, the frequency of CTU buses will be affected on Thursday.
Officials said that major bus stops — PGI, GMSH-16, GMCH-32, ISBT-17 and ISBT-43 — will not be affected much but waiting time at these stops will definitely increase. Director (Transport) Pradhuman Singh said, “The CTU bus service will be normal tomorrow till 10.30 am and subsequently buses will be diverted for Air Show. After 8 pm, all the buses will resume their normal routes. The same situation will remain on October 8, the last day of the Air Show.”
CTU is providing a shuttle service for pick and drop from the alighting points to Sukhna Lake and back for which an online payment of Rs 20 can be made through the app. This payment is being taken as a charge for shuttle service to ferry the entry pass holder to the Sukhna Lake.
People have been advised to reach their picking points at least 15 minutes before the schedule.
There will be no entry of private vehicles at Sukhna Lake parking.
No vendors selling food to sit around the area
As food items can attract birds that can obstruct the aviators displaying the flying skills during the air show, a special team has been deputed by the Municipal Corporation to ensure that no street vendors sit around the area. Although the belt is strictly a no vendor zone, the team has been deputed considering the tendency of vendors to sit outside the area where a huge crowd, including the children, turns up.
Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra while speaking to The Indian Express said that a permanent team has been deployed to remove vendors constantly.
The area was given a makeover
With many dignitaries scheduled to visit the lake for the air show, the entire area near Punjab Raj Bhawan and the lake has been given a makeover. The road stretch right outside Punjab Raj Bhawan has also been recarpeted by the civic body and berms have been painted afresh.
What you need to know
- n Public has been advised not to bring any edibles on Oct 6 and 8 as food attracts birds which can obstruct the air show.
- n Rs 20 is being charged as a shuttle service to ferry the entry pass holder to Sukhna Lake – from the alighting point to Sukhna Lake and back. This charge was to be made online through the app.
- n Normal CTU bus service to remain affected as 358 CTU buses are pressed into service for the air show.
- n Every pass holder will get an area of 6 square feet.
- n The entire top brass of the UT Administration will be at the venue and people visiting the UT Secretariat will have to
- visit on days other than Thursday
- n There are 11 alighting points from where these specific buses to ferry people to the drop-off points at the lake will start.
Each ticket mentions the alighting point of the entry pass holder and the entry staircase. The buses have also been properly marked as AL 1, AL 2. The staircases have also been marked that are to be used by the entry pass holders.
- n Parking facility for 10,000 vehicles has been made at these 11 alighting points.
- n Each entry pass has a QR code which will be valid only with a valid photo ID card. On each entry pass, zone number, alighting point and entry staircase will be prominently displayed.
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