Srinagar: Reiterating their demand for alternate parking facility for customers, shopkeepers from Polo View market to commercial nerve centre Lal Chowk, the traders claimed that their business is suffering badly as the authorities are implementing recent court directions in a ‘chaotic’ manner.
According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), from Polo View market to Lal Chowk, shopkeepers appealed the Traffic Police department to arrange alternate parking facility for customers whose vehicles they said are towed away by traffic cops if found parked on road.
“Our business has affected badly. Customer vehicles are either fined and there or towed away by traffic cops if found parked outside any shop right from Polo View to Lal Chowk. We have already suffered losses worth crores of rupees since August 5,” said Muhammad Shafi, a shopkeeper.
He said that hardly any customer visit their shops nowadays as the traffic police cops do not allow them to park their vehicles on roads.
The affected shopkeepers appealed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic, Tahir Geelani to find alternate parking facility for customers who intends to make purchases from Lal Chowk and its adjacent markets including Residency Road, Regal Chowk and Polo View markets.
“We cannot go up against High Court directions which are aimed at to make traffic system in Srinagar. We only demand traffic police department to arrange alternate parking lots for our customers. We would be grateful to SSP Traffic if any painstaking efforts are made in this direction,” Ajaz Ahmad another shopkeeper said.
Meanwhile, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) and Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) the umbrella bodies of various business unions have sought necessary amendment in High Court directions so as to make traders feel pleased. The representatives of both trade bodies have threatened to hit streets in case the authorities failed to find alternate parking facility for customers. (KNO)
