PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
The city’s Sunday market started near the ISBT on this Sunday on the directions of Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal. As multitudes flocked to browse and shop from about 300 vendors, the busy Haridwar Bypass Road witnessed traffic congestion causing considerable public inconvenience.
After the DM’s order, the Sunday market was held on vacant land of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) near ISBT for the first time. This decision was taken considering traffic management in the heart of the city. Earlier, the market used to be held in the heart of the city at Rangers Ground causing considerable traffic woes in the core area every Sunday. It is worth mentioning here that shopkeepers of Paltan Bazaar had long been demanding the shifting of the Sunday market, saying that it was affecting their business.
Meanwhile, the start of the market near the ISBT resulted in traffic congestion as visitors parked their vehicles on the side of the already busy road. Police personnel were deployed to manage the traffic though inconvenience was faced by the public and nearby shopkeepers.
A shopkeeper, Rahul Verma, who runs a tyre repair shop, said that there had been a traffic jam since morning. “Whoever is coming is parking their bike in front of our shop and going inside the Sunday market. How are we supposed to run our shop?” he said.
Other persons this correspondent talked to had mixed reactions. One person said there was no problem in parking vehicles and there was plenty of space to move around. Earlier, there were problems due to lack of space in the previous location, he said. However, one vendor in the Sunday market said, “We have been thrown out of the city and brought here. The earlier place was better.”
Some people said that many residents are not even aware that the market is being held here. “Earlier, more people used to come because the market was nearby. Many people still don’t know that the market is being held here,” said trader Nawab.
Sunday Market Committee head Praveen Kumar said that everything is fine and it will just take some time to settle. He said that this market supports the livelihood of poor people. Around 300 shops are set up here and there are 20 volunteers who also help in managing traffic. “For us, this place is fine, and the previous location was also fine,” he said.
