NEW DELHI: Traders and shop owners are relieved by the opening of metro services in the national capital on Monday. Although the response from Delhi residents was cautious on day one, most market associations and shop owners believe this is a huge confidence-building measure.
Ashok Randhawa, president of Sarojni Nagar Mini Market Association, said that the opening of metro services will help increase the flow of customers.
“People are spending a lot of money on cars and cabs to move around these days, which is mainly for essential work. The opening of the metro will hopefully bring in more customers to our market. The lockdown has shut down the business completely and the financial situation of traders is bad. If cheaper options of transport are made operational, the business might pick up,” he said.
In a meeting held last month with representatives of various market associations, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to help the traders to recover from the after-effects of the pandemic. In the Delhi government’s economic revival plan, markets play the most crucial role.
Some traders, however, have questioned the timing of the opening of the metro. The number of coronavirus cases and deaths has seen a steep rise in recent days in the national capital. While the government has attributed this rise to an increase in testing, people are worried that steps like metro re-opening may contribute to this jump.
“While opening the metro is a boon for Chandni Chowk market, there is also worry about the increasing number of cases. It’s a welcome step by the government to reopen the metro and it will hopefully give the boost required to traders. However, strict implementation of lockdown norms is very important,” said Sanjay Bhargava, president of the Chandni Chowk’s market body.