NEW DELHI: A day after Ajmal Khan Road, popularly known as the Karol Bagh market, was made a no vehicle zone, shop owners and the traders gave a mixed response to the North civic body’s decision.
While some businessmen welcomed the step, a few others complained that this may lead to a decline in footfall at the market going forward. Awadhesh, who has been running his shoe store in the market for the last 10 years, said the crowd has thinned noticeably over the last couple of days.
“When the civic body informed us about the decision one month ago, some traders and businessmen had opposed it. And the parking lot allotted is not that close to the market so as to impede the movement of regulars there,” he told this correspondent. Voicing similar sentiments, Prem, another store manager, said the majority of shoppers who visit branded showrooms in the area, come by car.
“Today, we only posted sales worth Rs 2,000 till the evening. Not many people would be able to drop in at our showrooms by riding the Metro. The showrooms of top brands here are mostly frequented by locals in their cars. Now, they would visit nearby shopping malls that have better parking facilities,” Prem said.
However, some traders welcomed the step saying the lane is now more shopper-friendly, as there’s no congestion in the area.
“There have been several cases of shoplifting in the market. Now that it is less congested, we can keep an eye on customers,” said Ajay Kumar, who owns a garment store in the market. Varsha Joshi, Commissioner of North MCD said the proposal to turn the stretch into a vehicle-free zone was mooted long back but the process of implementation began two months ago.
“It was implemented through a joint effort of the municipality and the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is working to address traffic concerns,” Joshi said.