Commuters, particularly office-goers from adjoining areas of Kolkata faced a harrowing time returning home today as several private and minibuses were said to be on rally duty.

Even as private buses plied close to normal in parts of Central Kolkata, fringes of the city were said to have fewer buses as a considerable count of those were said to have been taken for carrying the rally participants. Private and minibuses, connecting the main parts of the city to the adjoining areas, also were reduced in number in the evening hours as many of those were taken for rally duty tomorrow. With thousands of supporters swarming to Kolkata from various parts of Bengal to attend the annual political gathering of the ruling party, Howrah and Sealdah railway stations were flooded with people.

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The city streets were abuzz with mammoth crowds of supporters arriving in strings of groups and dispersing to various corners of Kolkata. The day was tougher for some commuters who were waiting for availing government buses at Howrah station. At Sealdah, crowds of supporters in small and big groups were seen shouting slogans and carrying party flags near the station. According to sources, a rake has also been hired by the ruling party to carry supporters from Alipurduar to Sealdah station.

Anticipating huge rush and to avoid any untoward incident in trains and station premises, Metro Railway has decided to strengthen security arrangements at Dakshineswar, Dum Dum, Shyambazar, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Chandni Chowk, Esplanade, Park Street, Maidan, Rabindra Sadan, Jatin Das Park, Kalighat, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Kavi Subhash stations of North-South Corridor and Salt Lake Sector V, Karunamoyee and Central Park stations of East-West Metro Corridor.

According to the Kolkata Metro Railway, a total of 120 officers and staff would be deployed at 13 Metro stations to ensure smooth flow of passengers without any hindrance. Also, additional ticket counters would be opened at different Metro stations to manage the rush tomorrow.

The city Metro is also to deploy Quick Response Teams (QRT) at different stations and in trains to tackle situations of emergency. The city police are also likely to implement some regulations for the rally. Goods vehicles in Kolkata Police limits have been prohibited entry on Friday between 3 am to 8pm, except those carrying essential commodities like oxygen cylinders. Restrictions on parking in some areas adjacent to Victoria Memorial and parts of AJC Bose Road, Cathedral Road, Queensway, Casuarina Avenue, and Lovers Lane are also expected to be in place.

Buses originally plying through these routes are to be diverted to other roads. Vehicular movement could also be regulated by the Kolkata Traffic Police on roads used for the rally from 4am to 8pm. The city traffic police have also decided to make arrangements for a district-wise parking system. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is said to have made arrangements for the removal of waste on the day of the mega rally.

The civic body is also said to have taken initiatives to prevent waterlogging in areas close to the venue in case of a downpour tomorrow. Considering the mammoth rally and the anticipated difficulties of commuting, some schools have announced a holiday tomorrow while others have decided to go for online classes. Buses vanish from Arambagh roads Not a single route bus is available on roads of Arambagh sub division, putting bus passengers in a lot of trouble reaching their places of destination.

Arambagh is a vital bus terminus, from where buses ply to and from Burdwan, Bankura, Puruliya, Haldia, Bishnupur, Kolkata, Tarkeshwar and both Midnapore sub-divisions. Spokesperson of Arambagh bus owners and operator association alleged that from 18 July onwards the ruling party workers are stopping the buses on its route, forcing the passengers to get down and then taking the bus under their possession.

Hence, the maximum number of route buses is off the roads. Bus passengers expressed their annoyance over the ruling party workers for taking the route buses under their possession four days ahead of the 21 July rally.

They said, maximum people from Arambagh sub-division depend on the bus services to reach their place of work and destination. Some bus passengers putting their lives at risk are travelling in overloaded pick up vans. A senior TMC leader from Arambagh, Swapan Nandy, said, people are aware of our massive gathering at Dharmatala on 21 July, hence we expect them to bear with us.