Bhopal: The city’s shopping hub, New Market is likely to witness less chaos from Wednesday as the area has been declared a no-vehicle zone. The decision to bar entry of any vehicles, except loading autos, inside the marker was taken on Tuesday. An order of collector mentioning prohibition of entry of vehicles inside the market has been put up at the entrance of market.
Traffic jams and congestion on the market streets had become a daily norm due to haphazard parking of vehicles. This was the second step taken by administration to provide much required breathing room to the city’s most congested market. To address the parking woes in the new market area, a smart multi-parking lot was e-inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. And now to decongest the market street, the administration has come up with the order prohibiting vehicular movement inside the market.
The initial response to the multi-level parking was not encouraging as after the very next day of its inauguration, only 70 vehicles were seen parked inside it. Over 1000 vehicles, including four and two wheelers, were parked on roadsides and even inside the market area.
On the day the no-vehicle zone order came in force, as many as fifty vehicles were seen parked inside the market. No action was initiated against the violators as the order came late afternoon, and by them the traders and shoppers had already parked their vehicles inside the market. From Wednesday onwards, the district administration will act sternly against the offenders to ensure that the order is obeyed in letter and spirit.
Satish Gangrade, president of new market trader’s association admitted that a number of vehicles were still parked inside the market despite the order has come into force. In next few days shopkeepers will get accustomed to the new practice and will park the vehicles at the allotted space. He said that from now on only loading auto will be allowed inside the market. They will be allowed to ply inside the market till 4 pm only thereafter, even their entry will be prohibited, he added.
He said that the trader’s association will hold talks with BMC commissioner on Wednesday, seeking a reserved parking slot for the shopkeepers. “If administration provides us with space, the traders will avoid parking their vehicles anywhere outside and would prefer the allotted parking lot,” he said.
