Traders discourage people from parking vehicles in front of shops

Rawalpindi :Parking lots established at different places including markets, bazaars and plazas are meant for public and people of all walks of life. However, a new trend has been noticed over the last few months in certain parts of the city where the traders and shopkeepers have occupied parking lots for their own purpose and stop people from using it.

A number of people who possess cars and motor bikes approached this correspondent and alleged about the very strange attitude adopted by the traders, shopkeepers and owners of plazas depriving the public to utilise the facility of parking lots.

Moreover, in certain places, the traders and shopkeepers with the help of their associations and unions representatives have created blockades by placing cemented blocks at parking sites preventing people to park their vehicles.

This kind of practice adopted by shopkeepers and traders could be clearly witnessed in many parts of the Rawalpindi city like Liaquat Road, Circular Road, Raja Bazar, Jinnah Road, several points of Murree Road. Here the traders allegedly do not allow people to park their vehicles in the parking lots formed outside their shops and trading centres and adopt very rough attitude against those who try to resist the move.

The people while expressing deep concern over this novel behaviour of the traders and shopkeepers also criticized the concerned bodies like traffic police and TMA besides contractors (Theikedars) for their complete failure to take notice against such practices. They have demanded off the Punjab Chief Minister as well as the Chief Traffic Officer to take immediate and serious notice against such strange attitude of traders and shopkeepers in certain parts of the Rawalpindi city.

The allegations levelled by motorists and motor bike riders were not denied but agreed by the traders while talking over the issue. According to traders led by one Mehboob, doing business of wedding cards, the people who park their cars outside their shops and trading centres do not move out their vehicles for long hours which affects our business largely. If anyone wants to park his vehicle in parking areas for few minutes not more than 10 to 15 are allowed to do so, the traders observed.

One of the trader, Hashmat who possess trading centre at Liaquat Road reacted in wild manner over the allegations by the people. He said that the government have opened parking lot for public at Main Fawara Chowk then why they should be allowed to park their vehicles outside our shops or plazas, he questioned.

Anyhow, the officials belonging to TMA department expressed their unawareness over the issue created by traders and shopkeepers. Mayor Rawalpindi along with chairmen of their respective union councils said that the matter would be taken for discussion. We would work on it and take up the matter seriously to stop traders from preventing them to park their vehicles in parking sites. Mayor said that Parking lots are meant for every person and the traders or shopkeepers have now right to stop anyone from parking vehicles.

Similarly, well placed official of CTO office, senior Inspector, Wajid Satti while expressing anguish over what he termed unlawful attitude of the traders and shopkeepers asked the public to approach Traffic Police Helpline 051-9272616 if any trader, shopkeepers or any other person create problems for them during parking of vehicles in parking lots. We would take serious action against them, he assured.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/221831-Traders-discourage-people-from-parking-vehicles-in-front-of-shops