Traffic congestion puts off Diwali shoppers

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, October 28

Traders on the Mall Road have extended their shops onto the pavements and streets to lure more customers this Diwali. They have even occupied parking spaces by erecting tents, leading to traffic chaos on the road.

As the district administration has not banned the vehicular movement on the road today, traffic near the town’s popular business centre has come to standstill due to encroachment by shopkeepers.

Though the police claimed it has deployed more men to man traffic, with limited space they could do little to ensure smooth traffic movement. Because of encroachment, there is narrowing on the both sides of the road as haphazardly parked vehicles and hawkers block the movement of the commuters.

Additional Superintendent of Police Manmohan Singh said traders had been given a relaxation today in view of Dhanteras. He said the Mall Road would be declared a traffic-free zone for two days from tomorrow to minimise inconvenience and more policemen would be deployed to ensure smooth vehicular movement. Vikayan Moughil, who waited 25 minutes to get an auto-rickshaw, said traffic congestion and unavailability of parking space had created problems for the buyers and traders.