Kerala - Kochi   

Rallies affect traffic

KOCHI: Kochi may go the Thiruvananthapuram way if political parties, trade unions and apolitical and community organisations continue to hold massive rallies and meetings in the city hub in shows of strength.

In the State capital, processions have earned notoriety for often blocking arterial roads. Now, the commercial capital of the State also feels the heat. Processions that bring the city to a standstill rain misery on commuters and pedestrians, despite Kerala High Court guidelines saying that rallies should not affect life.

The past week saw over half-a-dozen protest marches and processions that threw traffic into disarray. The public suffered in silence the organised might of the rally participants.

Most rallies cover entire roads, even if there are only two rows of marchers. On February 10, the police escorted just about two dozen activists of a political party, dispersed all over the busy road at Palarivattom, taking out a march towards Kaloor. Motorists had no option but to follow the small procession, at a snail’s pace.

The Marine Drive Ground has become the favourite venue for rallies and public meetings, because of its high visibility and the “potential” it holds to affect traffic. Traffic disruption in the area, the city’s western end and a major shopping centre, will further affect traffic on Mahatma Gandhi Road and its byroads, such as Banerjee Road and Sahodaran Ayyappan Road. Within minutes, junctions on National Highways located on the eastern, southern and northern parts of the city are clogged.

Aji Krishnan, working with a private firm on Mahatma Gandhi Road, narrated how he could not commute or return to his office on Thursday evening when a rally from the international stadium to Marine Drive clogged all arterial and even side roads in the city.

“I tried to escape through pocket roads that I know, but to no avail,” he said.

“They all were full of vehicles held up because of the rally. Mahatma Gandhi Road came to a standstill.”

There is an increasing demand to deny permission for rallies on arterial roads. “If they are very particular, they can very well hold public functions on open grounds in the suburbs, where fewer people will be affected,” says Ajith Sojan, who had to take a major deviation to reach his office in the city on Thursday.

Many people had to take half-day leave, to prevent getting caught in the snarls. Thursday’s rally resulted in vehicles being diverted through the highway. With many private buses stopping service, people were even seeing running, trying to reach home. Many were seen climbing on to mini lorries and other goods carriers on their way home.

“It is sad that processions and democratic means of protests are held in an undemocratic way,” says Ashok R.C., who feels that there is little use in being angry or reacting to such inconveniences. “I feel pity for people caught in the snarls,” he adds.

Despite High Court orders, many processions do not allow people to even cross the road.

Anjali Vishwanathan, advocate, spoke of the travails that she encountered while returning home from work on Thursday, despite taking an alternative route. “I had a harrowing time on my two-wheeler, since side roads are very narrow, dusty and ill-maintained. Even without rallies, it is all hell let loose on Kochi’s arterial roads. Rallies make things worse,” she said.

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