Thiruvananthapuram traffic was severely disrupted for several hours on Thursday after four separate marches involving around 10,000 participants converged on key roads leading to government offices and public institutions, leaving commuters stranded and affecting work schedules across the city.
According to police sources, the worst congestion was reported along the Bakery Junction–Statue–Vellayambalam–Palayam–Law College Junction–PMG Junction stretch. Traffic movement was severely affected between 10.30am and 1.30pm, with office-goers, businesses and other commuters reporting delays in reaching their destinations.
City police commissioner Arul R B Krishna said the simultaneous demonstrations created a significant traffic-management challenge because the marches used busy arterial roads connecting major junctions and government offices. He said traffic diversions had limited effectiveness when large groups were moving through the city.
“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,” Krishna said.
The commissioner also said some marches had been conducted without police permission and that cases were generally registered against organisers afterwards. The police response highlights the difficulty of managing public demonstrations when several groups schedule events in the same central-city corridor and seek to reach different government authorities.
The Kerala Mining and Crusher Owners Association marched to the Directorate of Mining and Geology, demanding the withdrawal of a 2023 rule amendment and resolution of issues affecting quarry and crusher operators. The Kerala Pravasi Sangham marched to the Secretariat, seeking clearance of pending welfare pension arrears and improved support for expatriates.
The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi marched to Lok Bhavan to protest the proposed levy on UPI transactions, while the Kerala Library Association marched to the state assembly, demanding better salaries and restoration of allowances withdrawn from library employees.
The demonstrations affected not only road users but also professional commitments and business operations along the routes. Commuters called for better coordination between organisers and police, advance traffic advisories and more effective diversion plans during large public gatherings.
The disruption also placed attention on the operational limits of traffic management in Thiruvananthapuram’s central administrative zone. When marches move through connected junctions rather than remaining at a single protest site, traffic control must manage both the procession and the accumulated vehicles behind it. Police said the duration of the disruption was linked partly to the time required for participants to reach their respective destinations.
The police are expected to continue registering cases where demonstrations were held without permission. Commuters and other affected road users have sought advance coordination and public advisories to reduce the impact of future marches on the city’s main routes.
