Thursday morning once again put to test commuters’ patience as they faced a big traffic snarl along the Sasthamangalam-Peroorkada stretch caused by a protest march taken out by VSDP activists to the Raj Bhavan.
The march was in protest against the CBSE ninth class social studies textbook which allegedly showed the Nadar community in a bad light. The march began around 10.30 am and the traffic officials had a difficult time ensuring vehicular movement. The real scare came when the VSDP activists and the police engaged in a pitched street battle after the activists tried to breach the barricade.
This resulted in bursting of tear gas shells and a lathi-charge by the police. For the next half hour or so traffic in the area was in disarray.
The traffic officials were left with no other option but to divert vehicles. Vehicles heading towards Peroorkada side were diverted near Corporation office and directed via Nanthancode. The buses that were heading from Peroorkada side to the city were diverted near Trivandrum Tennis Club. The vehicles that came from Vattiyoorkavu were redirected along Pangode- Vazhuthacaud road. But the narrow roads in these routes soon got congested by the huge volume of traffic.
“Since the road in front of Raj Bhavan was blocked after the violence, we had no other option but to divert the traffic,” said Traffic North Assistant Commissioner P Mohanan.