Protests affect traffic in city

Protests affect traffic in city

The Hindu

Demonstrations on major roads inconvenience hundreds of people

# Vehicular movement was hit for over two hours in the central business district
# Diversion of traffic not always possible: police

BANGALORE: Traffic was affected in central parts of the city on Friday as various organisations held demonstrations and blocked roads to protest the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged demonstration in front of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office, Bahujan Samaj Party at the Town Hall, Dalit Hindulida Alpasankyatara Sangha at Hudson Circle and Karnataka Gadi Horata Samiti at Mysore Bank Circle.

As the protests were held at busy junctions, vehicular movement came to a halt for over two hours in the central business district.

Vehicles were stranded on J.C. Road, R.V. Road, Nrupatunga Road, Kasturba Road, Kempe Gowda Road and surrounding areas.

Hundreds of people were put to inconvenience because of the traffic jam.

Commuters got down from BMTC buses and autorickshaws at several places and walked to reach their destination.

After learning of traffic hold-up, autorickshaw drivers refused to come on hire to the central areas.

High Court order

Bangloreans have often been forced to bear hardships caused by rallies as the State Government has delayed decision on restricting rallies in the city in compliance with a High Court order.

The Karnataka High Court directed the Government in July 2005 to provide land outside the city for holding rallies.

The court observed that processions taken out by political parties and organisations should not pass through the main streets in the city.

While the public wants the police to take steps to divert vehicular movement and clear traffic snarls during processions, senior police officials say such diversions are not always possible.

There are no parallel roads in the central areas where we can allow the processions on one road and divert the vehicles to the other.

Many of the roads are already carrying traffic more than their capacity, a traffic police official explains.

Secondly, diversion of vehicles during rallies is difficult as none of the processions starts on time. Processions are normally taken out two or three hours behind schedule, he says.

More protests

Meanwhile, protests against the tribunal award are gaining strength in Bangalore. Political parties, Kannada and Dalit organisations and trade unions held protest meetings in several places in the city.

Women led by actor Tara staged a demonstration carrying empty pots near the BBMP office. Naganathapura MICO Kannada Balaga held a rally near Parappana Agrahara on Hosur Road and blocked the traffic for some time.

KSRTC Kendra Kannada Kriya Samiti staged a protest near Town Hall and Basaveshwaranagar Nagrika Vedike members sat on a dharna at Havanur Circle.

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists led by Praveen Kumar Shetty tried to storm the Doordarshan Kendra in J. C. Nagar on Friday.

The police stopped them and arrested 75 activists. They were later released.