Address parking issues

With no letup in traffic congestion across Srinagar, the people visiting the markets in the commercial Hub Lal Chowk and adjacent areas from different parts of the Valley have been facing immense hardships in absence of the adequate parking slots, affecting their shopping. The commercial hub Lal Chowk and its adjacent markets are known valley-wide. People from different districts visit the markets here to buy the essentials and other belongings for them, thereby witnessing a massive rush of people on every single day. The available parking slots on the road sides designed by the local authorities here are seemingly meant specifically for the shopkeepers while the shoppers are being forced to face immense hardships. Most of the parking slots are being occupied by the shopkeepers by parking their own vehicles, leaving the shoppers to lurch at large. The vehicles could be seen parked on the roadsides in these marketplaces. It has been observed that these vehicles belong to the shopkeepers only. Therefore, the reasons behind coming up with the parking slots in the markets are not served properly as those visiting for buying essentials are being pushed to the wall. The commuters are not even being allowed to stop for just a minute or so, which simultaneously is adding to their misery and thus indicating the need for coming up with proper parking slots within the busiest markets, which will help the commuters and especially shoppers to heave a sigh of relief. The concerned authorities must take immediate measures in this regard and ensure that the people visiting the markets are allowed to take the benefits of the parking spaces. Besides, there is a dire need to come up with more such facilities so that the people are provided with adequate facilities in these markets.