Rakhi festive rush brings traffic chaos to Ludhiana roads

As the festival of Rakhi approaches, traffic chaos has once again gripped the city. The proliferation of Rakhi stalls, including temporary markets set up under tents on busy roads, has disrupted traffic flow across key areas. Major thoroughfares such as Fieldganj Road, Dandi Swami Road, Bhamian Road, Haibowal, Chaura Bazaar, Model Town, Ghumar Mandi and Jawahar Nagar Camp are now experiencing jams throughout the day.

These makeshift stalls have been erected even in zones officially declared as no-tolerance areas by the police administration. Shopkeepers are not only operating roadside but have pitched tents covering up to half the road in several places, causing significant inconvenience for both drivers and pedestrians.

Expressing his frustration, Nishant Arora, a resident of Jassian Village Road, said, “It is natural for markets to get crowded during festivals, but if the administration has declared no-tolerance zones, why are these rules being ignored? What used to take 15 minutes now takes over half an hour.”

Another resident, Navkaran Singh from Ghumar Mandi, added, “Before every major festival, temporary stalls appear on the roads, turning wide streets into narrow lanes. Police and municipal officers are fully aware of the situation, yet no effective plan is in place to prevent this mess. The administration should provide designated spaces for vendors selling Rakhis, ensuring smooth traffic flow. They could allocate large grounds with ample parking for such stalls.”