MANGALURU: In a bid to provide a smooth functioning of public transport and to reduce the traffic congestion, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil suggested to introduce Electronic Road Price (ERP) in the city.

The DC briefed about the ERP to media persons after proposing it in the RTA meeting recently.

Senthil said "Mangaluru - being one of the developing cities, is facing major traffic which has made it difficult for people to travel around the city. It is better to implement ERP for private vehicles which are unnecessarily entering the city. Under ERP system, private vehicle owners have to pay a certain amount to enter the city during peak hours. As it is an electronic system, the amount will be deducted directly from e-wallets of the vehicle's owner. Similar systems have already been implemented in Singapore, and they have seen excellent results from this." 

 He said "soon, a meeting In this regard will be held with the officials of Mangaluru City Corporation and elected representatives. The minute details like the type of vehicles to be brought under ERP system, area and amount will be fixed after taking suggestions in various phases."

Appropriate as per healthcare

Senthil said "Increase in the traffic movement leads to widening of roads. Due to which, old buildings and monuments in the city are facing problems. With the regulation of ERP system, private vehicles' entry will be reduced in the city. With that, we can get rid of traffic congestion and air pollution also."

"At present, this system (ERP) does not exist in our country. If this system gets implemented in Mangaluru, It will become a model for rest of the cities in India. The ERP system, which does not require any major investment, can be introduced along with the Smart City mission," he said.

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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.

The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.

The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.

Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.

“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.

“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.

Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.

“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.

“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.

Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.

“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.

“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.

In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.

“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.

“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.