Schools closed but business as usual in Kochi
The private and government institutions recorded near normal attendance as shops at many places remained open.
Kochi: The state’s commercial capital had a business as usual day on Friday with private vehicles were seen on the roads in large numbers as the hartal call failed to have much impact.
Though the private buses and KSRTC did not operate city services, autos and taxis plied from the morning itself.
The private and government institutions recorded near normal attendance as shops at many places remained open. Almost all offices in the civil station remained open. However, educational institutions remained closed.
A large number of Ayyappa devotees arrived at the Ernakulam railway station in trains. The KSRTC operated a total of 40 services to Pamba besides those to destinations like Alappuzha, Palakkad, Vaikom and Kottayam.
Transport facilities in police convoy were arranged from Palarivattom for IT employees bound for Infopark at Kakkanad while the police and ‘Say No To Hartal’ volunteers organised conveyance for passengers reaching railway stations. The Kerala police also arranged free food to commuters arriving at the South railway station.
The Kochi Metro witnessed near normal ridership with 20,258 people travelling upto 6 pm.
Cinema halls screening the movie Odiyan, a Mohanlal-starrer that hit the cinemas on Friday, were exempted from the hartal.
The BJP took out a protest march from the Town Hall to High Court Junction that ended with a ‘namajapa’ session.