Illegal vendors continue to cause traffic chaos on busy Mall Road

Despite the MC’s best efforts to crack a whip on the illegal weekly bazaars in the city, vendors continue to set up shops on the Mall Road every weekend, on the road stretch from Sant Singh Sukha Singh Chowk to Celebration Mall.

The weekly bazaars cause significant traffic jams on the stretch on Sundays, leaving commuters frustrated.

Earlier, vendors would set up shops on the footpaths, but for the last few weeks, now they have started occupying some portion of the road too. Besides, two-wheelers parked on the road in front of the stalls by the customers occupy the area meant for the movement of vehicular traffic.

Expressing concerns, Harnam Singh, a resident, said, “Nobody has problem with people selling their goods, but a system should be in place so that commuters are not harassed.” Though the municipal corporation have taken action against such vendors on several occasions, weekly encroachments continue to rise.

The residence of the Police Commissioner is also located on the opposite side of the same stretch, but authorities have failed to remove the bazaar and address the traffic congestion issue. Harjot Singh, a commuter, said, “Not even a single vehicle can pass when the bazaar is operational. It takes 10 minutes to pass the 200-metre stretch.”

Residents said to resolve the issue, the authorities must work together to establish a system that allows vendors to sell their goods without causing a chaos on roads. They stated that the administration could designate specific areas for vendors to check the setting up of shops on roadsides.