The illumination which has been switched on as part of the Onam festivities has given the much-needed colour to the city nights. But the city-zens have also got an idea of what to expect on the traffic front in the coming days as the major roads are either blocked or vehicles are diverted. The city is witnessing more traffic snarls and heavy rush since Saturday in view of the one-week Onam fete. Vehicles have to crawl right from the MG Road to the roads leading out of the city.
Heavy rush is witnessed on the Kanakakkunnu grounds, where the giant wheel and other rides are full with visitors. By the evenings, one can sense an exact mood of the celebrations. From the morning and noon scene, things slowly begin to change, with the festival crowds gathering at Kanakakkunnu and other places in the city during evening.
“I really thought that the rain would spoil the entire celebrations. But, thankfully, the sky is clear today. Hope it remains the same at least until Chathayam Day”, said Sivadas, a visitor, on Thiruvonam day.
This is the most awaited period for the people, including the vendors, as sales are much higher than normal days.
The Traffic Police personnel deployed in various parts of the city are also finding it hard to handle the crowds, especially in the Kanakakkunnu- Vellayambalam area. Things are under control in the morning hours.
But it’s often chaos after 3 pm. The main reason that the officials point out for this is ‘’the unsystematic parking of vehicles on either side of the arterial roads, lanes and bylanes.’’
The effect of the traffic jam in the heart of the city has a cascading effect on the other areas as well, including the Chackai Bypass, the East Fort area, Enchakkal Junction, Pattom, Kovalam and even the suburbs further outside.
Traffic (South) Assistant Commissioner P Mohanan said the situation is likely to remain the same for another two days with the increasing number of vehicles from outside the city plying here with visitors coming to enjoy the Onam fete. “As of now, we regulate traffic only when the number of visitors increases.
During this time, the vehicles from the city to Vellayambalam route will be diverted via Museum- Nanthancode road. Those heading towards the city via Vellayambalam will be diverted along the Vazhuthacaud route. The rain that lashes the city, particularly in the mornings, is a major challenge to regulate the traffic,” he said.