T’puram: Multiple marches organised by different groups brought traffic to a crawl across the capital on Thursday, leaving commuters stranded for hours and disrupting work schedules. The worst congestion was reported along the Bakery Jn–Statue–Vellayambalam–Palayam–Law College Jn–PMG Jn stretch, with traffic movement severely affected between 10.30am and 1.30pm, according to police sources.The disruption caused considerable inconvenience to office-goers, business establishments and other commuters, many of whom struggled to reach their destinations on time. The prolonged traffic snarls also affected professional commitments and added to the physical and mental stress of daily travel, prompting calls for better traffic management during large public gatherings.City police commissioner Arul R B Krishna said four groups had taken out marches in the city region, involving around 10,000 participants. Managing traffic during simultaneous demonstrations posed a significant challenge, particularly along busy arterial roads connecting major junctions and govt offices, he said.“Even if around 2,000 people were marching towards the Lok Bhavan, it would cause huge traffic congestion. Traffic diversions have limitations. Traffic moves along with the march, but it takes at least 40 to 50 minutes for the participants to reach their destination,” the commissioner said.He added that some marches had been conducted without police permission and that cases were generally registered against the organisers afterwards.The congestion was compounded by demonstrations organised by four separate groups, each raising different demands before govt authorities.The Kerala Mining and Crusher Owners Association marched to the directorate of mining and geology, demanding the withdrawal of the 2023 rule amendment and a resolution to issues affecting quarry and crusher operators.The Kerala Pravasi Sangham took out a march to the Secretariat, seeking clearance of pending welfare pension arrears and improved support for expatriates.Meanwhile, the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi marched to Lok Bhavan to protest the proposed levy on UPI transactions. The Kerala Library Association staged a march to the state assembly, demanding better salaries and the restoration of allowances withdrawn from library employees.The simultaneous protests highlighted the challenge of accommodating multiple public demonstrations in the capital without severely disrupting routine traffic. Commuters called for better coordination between organisers and the police, along with advance traffic advisories and effective diversion plans, to minimise the impact of such events on daily life.
