Diwali ‘Shoppers Spree’ paralyses vehicular traffic

Diwali ‘Shoppers Spree’ paralyses vehicular traffic  

Yash Khajuria
JAMMU, Nov 12: With one day to go for Diwali, Jammu markets are presenting a bedecked look at its best. Eager buyers are seen bee-lined at various outlets.
Shops are charmingly decorated that is a great way to get into the festive mood.
Uncaring of inflation boom, the buyers are not lagging behind in purchasing festive stuff. Shops are flooded with Chinese articles. From Ganesh to Laxmi to Maa Durga all deities are also China made.

Most shops have set up stalls outside their premises to display Diwali wares like candles, diyas, rangoli colours, wall hangings and decorative items.

The “extended shops” however added to the shoppers' woes as the restricted parking and movement space has become a great hudle . “I came here to buy Diwali gifts, but with extended shops and stalls, there is absolutely no space left for vehicle parking,” said Sham Lal Thappa, who made a shopping stop at City Chowk Jammu.

With no option left but to park along carriageways, shoppers ended up paying fines or having their vehicles towed away.

“The authorized parking spaces are not enough to cater to such a heavy volume of traffic. So people end up parking in residential spaces or wherever else they can find space,” said Neelam Mahajan a Local from Parade, pointing at the unknown vehicles parked near her house.

While shopper streets in the heart of the city also had special displays and offers lined up, most people preferred shopping at local and wholesale markets. With most people not prepared to brave the rush in wholesale markets, many were seen shopping festive supplies at places like Raghunath Bazar Market.

Heavy footfall was witnessed today at Raghunath Bazar, Apsara Road, City Chowk, Parade and other markets in Jammu resulted traffic to be slow because of “heavy volume of vehicles” at condensed roads in the city which includes Shalamar Road, Parade, Kachhi Chawni, Gandhi Nagar Commuters also saw major traffic problems because of the festive rush.

“We increased surveillance in areas likely to get choked in the evening times and will do extra deployment of the traffic personals in these areas to prevent any such kind of choking” said Munir Khan, IG Traffic.