PORT MORESBY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2018 (POST COURIER) – Restrictions will be enforced on the routes expected to be used during the APEC Leaders meeting in Port Moresby in November.
This has been confirmed by Minister for APEC Justin Tkatchenko who said that the routes and the feeder roads onto the main routes will be locked down an hour before and an hour after the leaders have passed through.
“This is ensuring the route is secured and there is no security issues encountered before the leaders move,” he said.
“We are taking every precaution to ensure security is high and we expect the public to be aware of the areas they will not be allowed to use while the motorcades pass through,” Tkatchenko said.
The route will start from Seven Mile, to the Kookaburra Flyover, along the Sir John Guise Drive, turn left at the Waigani Drive, right down Wards Road, turn left and cut through the Poreporena Highway, down past the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium, go straight past the town fire station and down to APEC Haus.
On November 12-16 there will be restrictions with policemen and women static at locations along the route.
There will be a total lock down of the routes with allowances for the public and other APEC accredited vehicles to pass.
Director traffic operations acting chief superintendent Joseph Joe said police will be on guard at static locations along the route, which has been termed the “blue line”. Every intersection, roundabouts and traffic lights will have police officers static to ensure a smooth synchronised movement of the motorcades.
“The practice runs conducted by the team in the city will see a more synchronised run as the leaders will be moving in sequence and we have to make sure the timing right down to the gritty details is ready,” Mr Joe said.
“We are looking at 21 motorcades but with the inclusion of the 22 Pacific leaders we are also looking at their motorcades as well.
“It’s a big task for us but we are ready.”
Joe said the traffic police have reached their target of 80 motorcyclists, and 70 motor vehicle drivers.
