Organisers, police clash over change in marathon route

A standoff between the Mumbai traffic police and organisers of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon-2012 over the route has brought the January 15 event under a cloud.

A standoff between the Mumbai traffic police and organisers of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon-2012 over the route has brought the January 15 event under a cloud.

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The traffic police have now put the ball in the state government’s court, sources said on Tuesday. “The matter has been referred to the home department and the decision is pending,” police commissioner Arup Patnaik said.

Home department sources said the problem arose last year when the traffic police expressed reservations over the routes provided to it by the organisers. The police wrote to the state government saying it would not pay heed to last-minute route changes. The government finally allowed the organisers to go ahead with their route on condition that next year the route would only be finalised by the traffic police. The organisers gave an undertaking to that effect, sources said.

Organisers Procam International said they had proposed routes to the traffic police and were waiting for a green light.

“Generally, we propose a route and the traffic police finalise it. We cannot go ahead without their permission,” Bruno Goveas, director, media relations for Procam International, said.