NEW DELHI: Due to the traffic regulations imposed on the Chandni Chowk stretch from Red Fort to Fatehpuri Mosque and on the adjoining roads, the remaining thoroughfares in the area are seeing heavier than normal traffic, distressing the regular commuters on these roads. Business owners are anxious about what this will mean to their operations.
A few segments like Shanti Desai Marg, Rai Kedarnath Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg and Chawri Bazar road, where motor vehicles are barred between 9am and 9pm, were choked during the peak and non-peak hours. A few traders at Chandni Chowk, who spoke to TOI, worried about the effect of the road restrictions on their business.
“With the vehicular limitations, people will stop coming here altogether,” said Rajesh, a shop owner. “There are many elderly shoppers who are regulars here. Now they cannot walk all the way to our shops and have stopped coming. In a similar manner, most other people will also stop shopping here. This is not just my plight, but that of most other shop-keepers at Chandni Chowk.”
Kamal Singh echoed the same anxieties. “We are facing a really hard time and now have given up hope that things will ever get back to how they were prior to the lockdown,” he muttered.
After the traffic order was issued three days ago, the footfall at Chandni Chowk has declined rapidly as has the number of cars. Rickshaw puller Shahnawaz said due to cars not being allowed into the area, he has been able to pick up at least 30 shoppers and ferry them from the market to the metro stations and neighbouring localities.
As advised by the transport department, the road-owning agencies have begun putting up sign boards with information about traffic timings. There are restrictions on north side of the main Chandni Chowk thoroughfare and no motor vehicles are allowed on any road leading to the main road between 9am and 9pm, However, these restrictions do not apply to roads like HC Sen Marg up to the Jubilee Cinema cut, Rai Kedarnath Marg towards the main Chandni Chowk road up to the T-point, the Kachha Bagh road, including Chandni Chowk metro station and Ramjas Senior Secondary School No. 3 up to main Chandni Chowk road, Shanti Desai Marg towards main Chandni Chowk Road up to the T-point (Town Hall exit road) and the road leading to Bagh Diwar Park up to main Chandni Chowk road behind Dangal Maidan parking.
Likewise, there are restrictions on movement between 9am and 9pm on the south side of the main Chandni Chowk road on all roads leading to the main Chandni Chowk road. They don’t apply to Netaji Subhash Marg, Jama Masjid road up to Chawri Bazar Road crossing, Chawri Bazar Road up to Hauz Qazi Chowk, Lal Kuan Road up to T-point on Katra Bariyan Road and Katra Bariyan road up to Fatehpuri Mosque T-point.