THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chandrasekharan Nair, who just arrived at Thiruvananthapuram Railway Station from Kozhikode, was dreading the long wait at the station. “I hope autorickshaw services restart soon. I don’t want to sit here till 6 pm. I am too tired,” he says.
Many like him bore the brunt of the 12-hour hartal announced by UDF-LDF to protest against the rising fuel prices across the country.
Hundreds, who arrived at the Central Railway Station, were stranded after failing to find transportation facilities to reach their destination. The worst hit were migrant labourers. Many of them, who reached here unaware of the hartal, decided to wait at the station till the hartal got over. Rajender Singh, a Uttarakhand native, says, “We have no option but to wait for hours.
I hope buses start services at least after six in the evening.” Unaware of the hartal, Lali and family arrived at Central Railway Station from Tamil Nadu to head to Chalai market. They were disappointed to learn that shops in the Chalai market will be closed till evening.
However, much to their solace, a few youngsters decided to help people in immediate need of transport services. Manoj and his brother offered free auto rides to people heading to the Regional Cancer Centre and the Medical College.
Aneesh has to reach the Medical College Hospital for his dialysis. “I don’t have a choice. No matter what, I have to be there at the hospital at right time,” he said. He struggles to walk using his crutches. His mother was there to help him. Fortunately, Manoj came to his aid. Gireesh and his friends, a group of expatriates who were home for annual leave, too offered free bike rides to those who need it. “Youngsters should help people when such situations arises,” Gireesh said. The Police also offered emergency transport services to hospitals.