Wedding season rush leads to traffic jams, encroachments in Amritsar

The ongoing wedding season has turned markets in the interior of the city into a nightmare with rampant encroachment and chaotic parking causing massive inconvenience and traffic jams. The situation was especially challenging in prominent cloth markets, including Katra Jaimal Singh, Shastri Market and Hall Bazaar, which are among the worst affected areas, making navigation within the walled city extremely challenging. A large number of people from towns and villages in the periphery come to shop for weddings in these congested markets. The woollen cloth market near the telephone exchange also witnessed a rush with mercury dipping significantly in the last few days

Residents and traders alike are demanding swift action from the authorities to restore order in city markets.

“It has become impossible to drive through these markets,” said Lovleen, a frustrated local resident. “The traffic police and the estate department of the Municipal Corporation need to intervene urgently to clear encroachments and regulate parking.”

Jaswinder Singh, a local leader, echoed these concerns, urging the police to take swift action. “The administration must address the issue to prevent further suffering for commuters and traders,” he emphasised.

Traders, too, are feeling the pinch, citing significant losses due to traffic congestion. “Customers are deterred by the chaos, affecting our business severely. The traffic police should make an action plan to address the issue,” said a local shopkeeper Vijay Kumar.