BENGALURU: The new-look Commercial Street, which reopened last week, has become a star attraction among shoppers. And what better way to get the customers back than to click and upload pictures on social media. Both citizens and traders are going gaga over the road, and highlighting the many attractions.
The shopping avenue, which was being remodelled under the Smart City project, had come in for a great deal of criticism due to shoddy work, and the contractor had been warned to redo the road and also speed up work. After a long wait and many errors, the concretised road opened to shoppers again.
Many traders are using the road to their advantage by putting out new advertising campaigns and remodelling the entry to their stores. The lighting on the road has only added to the attraction of the street, which was seeing a lull in business due to road work and the pandemic, according to the shopkeepers’ association.
The Bangalore Commercial Association President Sanjay Motwani told The New Indian Express that the road was thrown open to the people on January 15. "Proper parking facilities have been made and access roads are also good. There is no problem of water and traffic anymore," he said.
However, shoppers are now asking shopkeepers and the government to introduce traffic-free days. They point out that this will be an added advantage as the road is narrow, despite being a one-way. "Goods vehicles, citizens' personal vehicles and pedestrians still congest the road during peak hours. So if vehicle timings are introduced, it will become more delightful," said Fathima H, a shopper on Commercial Street.