Breezy ride in a cab. Long wait for a bus. Traders swatting flies. Empty seats at eateries.

Parts of Howrah, Hooghly and North 24-Parganas went to the polls on Monday. The elections affected neighbouring Calcutta in ways more than one. Many people from the adjoining districts come to Calcutta for work every day. On Monday, most of them were on leave. The overcast conditions also played their part.

Roads

A Ballygunge resident drove to Dalhousie in 15 minutes on Monday afternoon. Usually, the journey takes 25 minutes or more at that time of the day.

“It was a breezy ride. The wait time at the major intersections was negligible,” he said.

Some of the ever-busy crossings or stretches such as the Gariahat-Golpark intersection, Mayo Road, Diamond Harbour Road and Central Avenue had much leaner traffic than they usually do on a weekday.

Many buses were off the road because they were on poll duty.

Several commuters said they had to wait for a long time before they could board a bus on Monday.

Sahana Khatoon was waiting at Gariahat for a bus to Kidderpore, where she lives, around 3.45pm. She usually travels on a bus between her home and her college on Rashbehari Avenue.

“From Gariahat, there is a bus to Kidderpore every seven to eight minutes. But today, I have been waiting for 20 minutes,” she said.

Rahul Chatterjee, general secretary of the All Bengal Bus Minibus Samannay Samity, said a substantial chunk of the daily fleet of buses in Calcutta was off the road for the elections.

“More than 30 per cent of the buses that ply in Calcutta every day connect various parts of the city with these three adjoining districts. Almost all such buses were off the road on Monday because they have been requisitioned for election duty,” said Chatterjee.

Markets

The shopping hubs looked deserted.

Most hawkers were either fidgeting with their phones or catching a quick afternoon nap when Metro visited Gariahat.

The din — resulting from honking vehicles, hawkers’ pitches and bargaining
bouts with customers — was missing.

“I have not had my bouni (first sale of the day) yet,” Jitu Das, who sells trousers and pyjamas for men, said around 3.30pm.

“Many of our customers travel by bus. Since the number of buses is very low today, the number of customers has also plunged,” said Das.

New Market was no different. Multiple stores have employees who come from neighbouring districts. They were on leave on Monday.

Around 2.30pm, the food court in South City Mall was the only place where there was a semblance of rush.

Eateries

Restaurants reported a plunge in footfall.

Around 2pm, most tables were empty in the Park Street restaurants that usually see a rush even on weekday afternoons.

Bars and liquor off-shops in parts of Calcutta’s north and south were shut from 6pm on Saturday till 6.30pm on Monday because of the polls.

“Most places that sell liquor witnessed a near 50 per cent dip in footfall. The situation started changing from Monday evening, when the bar was lifted. Monday dinner was busy,” said Sudesh Poddar, the president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India and the owner of Manthan, Songhai and MS Bar and Lounge.

A man at the cash counter of the food court at South City Mall said: “The summer vacation has started. Normally, hundreds of children turn up every day with one of the parents or some other member of the family. Today, I have little to do.”