Shopping paradise turns nightmare

Shopping paradise turns nightmare


M Ashitha First Published : 03 Jul 2010 07:46:42 AM ISTLast Updated : 03 Jul 2010 09:20:31 AM IST
BANGALORE: Shopowners eating up the lion’s share of the pavements, the chaotic passage of vehicles, and the crowd.
Anyone who has visited the bustling Commercial Street cannot be oblivious to the difficulties people face in this crowded area. During weekends, it is a hazardous bottleneck.
The flow of people and vehicles from various places, including the premises of St Mary’s Basilica, Cavalry Road junction, Old Poor House Road junction and the narrow lane that joins Commercial Street from Dickenson Road is quite large.
With business thriving, the area has become a favourite destination for shoppers from all over the city, who can find everything from fashion accessories to antiques and food items. As a result, traffic has increased ten fold, making the situation worse.
“Traffic congestion also contributes to both air and noise pollution.
Those who venture into the area undergo this trauma while they shop in this street,” rues Sandeep, a student of Internet Works in Shivaji Nagar.
It’s high time the traffic police and shopkeepers association stepped in to make the Street a much better place, he adds.
PARKING WOES
Echoing Sandeep, Kabeer, who works as a salesman in a shop, says more space should be provided for parking vehicles. On Sundays, apart from shoppers, the place is flooded with those visiting St Mary’s Basilica.
Making the street a pedestrian-only zone on weekends is a good idea, says Nasar, a shopkeeper.
A BMTC driver, who does not want to be named, welcomed the idea of restricting vehicular movement in the area during peak hours. Only a small portion of road space is available for pedestrians. A large portion is used for parking vehicles and rest is taken over by vendors, who often encroach the road to keep their items on display. "We have taken many measures to control the crowd. We will welcome any people-friendly initiative.
There should be mutual understanding between the people and the shopkeepers," says Sreenivasan, ACP (Traffic control East).