Rallyists choked central Calcutta but the usual Sunday revelry was on in other parts of the city.

The Trinamool Congress’s annual meeting in front of Victoria House resulted in the heart of the city coming to a standstill. But it caused little disruption elsewhere.

Malls and eateries

The pavements along Park Street wore a deserted look in the afternoon. It was an unusual sight on the city's favourite food street, where Sunday afternoon usually means packed restaurants with people waiting outside.

Tung Fong, which can accommodate more than 200 diners, had less than 10 people around 2pm.

The footfall at Peter Cat, Mocambo, Trincas and Bar-B-Q was also much lower than the usual Sunday number.

But around 7km away, South City Mall was crowded. A significant section of the parking slots were taken by 2.30pm. The shops were busy.

Veneto, known for its Italian fare, was packed around 2pm and had people waiting for lunch. Lord of the Drinks, also in the same mall, was almost full.

"It was a usual Sunday," said Amit Bajoria, who owns both.

South City Mall had an approximate footfall of 21,000 on Sunday afternoon, which was “almost the same” as other Sundays, said a mall official.

Transport

Buses, taxis and app cabs around central Calcutta were fewer than normal.

“Today being a Sunday there was no office rush. Commuters did not face any problem because of fewer public transport options on the roads,” said an officer of the East Traffic Guard.

Metro stations were overcrowded, as many people headed to the rally chose the carrier. At Esplanade, it was tough to find space on the platforms. Many rally-goers sat on the platforms, waiting for trains. RPF jawans had to push people inside packed compartments for the doors to close properly.

Traffic management

Police said parking arrangements for the vehicles that came for the rally on Saturday night and Sunday morning had been made in a way to ensure traffic kept moving in most of the city.

Every year, a large number of vehicles enter the city from districts through Vidyasagar Setu. “Many vehicles enter the city through Vidyasagar Setu on the eve of the rally and are parked in the Maidan area. This causes congestion in south Calcutta. But this year, we diverted the rally-bound vehicles through Nivedita Setu (on the northern fringes). The vehicles were parked along AJC Bose Road, APC Road, Bidhan Sarani and Central Avenue,” said a senior traffic department officer.

The rally had no impact on traffic in the city, except central Calcutta. When chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to the stage, the tail of the rally crowd reached the Lindsay Street crossing on one hand and the Bowbazar intersection on the other. The police said traffic outside this zone was unaffected.

Tourist spots

Tourist attractions like the Alipore zoo and the Victoria Memorial saw a footfall greater than other Sundays. The police said many who came from districts indulged in some sightseeing before or after the rally. The zoo and the Victoria Memorial were among their favourite destinations.

Officials at the Alipore zoo said the day's footfall was around 24,000, almost double the usual Sunday count.