Public transport buses, school buses and autorickshaws kept off the roads in most parts of Ernakulam district on Friday following the strike call given by a few organizations to protest against the recent hike in petrol price.
Most of the roads in the city were dominated by two-wheelers and cars in the morning, while many tourist buses, taxi cars and goods carriers began plying from the afternoon. Trains operated as usual.
No violence was reported till afternoon.
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The Anti-Hartal Campaign Committee had exhorted people to ignore the hartal and get on with their regular schedule. “Kerala is the sole State where people have been forced to remain indoors by protestors, following the fuel price hike. No trade union has the right to tell people not to venture out in their vehicles. Instead, the agitators could have staged agitations before the Parliament or the Assembly,” said Khalid Mundapilly, Convenor.