Hyderabad: Traders in Hyderabad’s Old City are demanding the traffic and local law & order police to decide and designate public parking places for visitors to the markets in the Hijri calendar months of Shabaan and Ramzan.
Hectic business activity is noticed in the markets in the older parts of the city in the two months. To avoid the Ramzan shopping rush and spend more time praying, several families shop before the advent of the holy month for the Muslim community.
With barely 25 days left for the Ramzan to begin, Hyderabad traders witness shoppers dropping to purchase merchandise for the month. Every year, there is a lot of criticism from several quarters regarding inadequate parking space for shoppers in the markets of Old City.
Telangana govt to consider probe into 2014 Rs 100 cr household survey
Thousands of people visit the Old City for shopping from across the state and even adjoining Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, a majority using private transport.
There are always complaints of private parking mafia collecting exorbitant fees from the vehicle owners depending on the duration of parking.
“To avoid chaotic traffic and no proper parking, people are avoiding visiting the Old City during the Ramzan for shopping. The Old City has been an important market for shoppers for decades and authorities should get involved and decide the parking places for shoppers,” demanded a trader Mahmood Ansari, who runs a garments store in Hyderabad’s Pathergatti.
Another businessman, Nadeem Khan, who runs a ladies’ apparel store at Madina Building, said that the areas of Pathergatti and Madina Building attract large crowds for clothes. The adjoining Patel Market and Rikabgunj Market are popular for saris and embroidered suits, while Osmania Bazaar and Gulzar Houz are known for crockery and perfumes.
“Shoppers complain of difficulty in finding a suitable place for parking vehicles. The traffic police should understand it and finalize the parking places immediately and make it public,” he demanded.
An official of traffic police maintained probable parking places could come up at Quli Qutb Shah Stadium, Moghalpura Sports Complex, Moghalpura Water Tank Road, Salar Jung Museum Road, SYJ Complex at Pathergatti, Khilwat Chowmahalla Palace, and Khilwat Playground. “The spots will be finalised soon and it will be shared with the public,” he said.
The Charminar bus stand has been cordoned off as a parking place for the namazis heading to Makkah Masjid and shoppers thronging the market. People want the traffic police to hold a meeting with the local public representatives and local traders’ associations before finalizing the parking places.
