The onset of the Onam holiday season has triggered a major traffic jam on the Thamarassery Ghat Road, with congestion since around 11 pm on Saturday and continuing through Sunday.

According to the Churam Samrakshana Samithy, the stretch between Adivaram and Thakarappadi has been the worst affected. The increased tourist flow to Wayanad, rise in vehicles heading to the flower gardens and vineyards in Gundlupet, Karnataka, along with the movement of heavy multi-axle trucks, which are permitted on the ghat road only at night, has added to the regular traffic on the stretch.

Moidu Muttayi of the Churam Samrakshana Samithy said volunteers have been working in shifts with the police to regulate traffic, but the situation has shown little improvement.

“The number of vehicles is steadily increasing with the start of the Onam holiday week. Construction work on the bends has also been temporarily halted due to rain, adding to the congestion,” he said.

The traffic snarl has also affected emergency services, with volunteers and police struggling to clear a passage for ambulances travelling to hospitals in Kozhikode.

The Samithy has urged motorists to maintain lane discipline and avoid driving on the wrong side of the road to overtake vehicles in the queue. It said such violations had further aggravated the congestion and obstructed vehicles travelling in the opposite direction.

“Following traffic rules and maintaining lane discipline can reduce the intensity of such traffic blocks to some extent,” the organisation said.