City traffic was disrupted as vast areas of the central business district were affected by the mammoth procession of toto operators. Around 11 o’clock, a massive gathering took place near the Howrah Bridge by the toto operators,who later organized a procession from the Howrah Bridge to Brabourne Road.
This procession eventually affected vastareas obfcentral Kolkata. The Howrah Bridge,which serves as the main entry point into Kolkata, was significantly affected as both city-boundand Howrah-bound vehicles were trapped in a massive traffic jam. This dis- ruption had a cascading effect onthecity’strafficsystem.
Police reported that approximately 17,000 battery-operated toto operators used the Brabourne Road flyover in Burrabazar to reach the state transport department’s office at Esplanade.
Consequently, most of the entry points into Kolkata, including BBD Bag and Strand Road areas, experienced traffic congestion during office hours.
As a result, people had to abandon buses, taxis, and other vehicles, resorting to walking across the bridge. This chaotic situation not only impacted Puja shoppers and business establishments but also affected many office goers. The gathering consisted of approximately 15,000- 16,000 protesters, primarily comprising toto drivers.