Traders protest hourly parking at Sector 17

The members of traders association of Sector 17 held a meeting with area councillor Pardeep Chhabra on Thursday and expressed their resentment over the decision of the municipal corporation of levying hourly parking charges.

The members of traders association of Sector 17 held a meeting with area councillor Pardeep Chhabra on Thursday and expressed their resentment over the decision of the municipal corporation of levying hourly parking charges.

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They said the decision was arbitrary, anti-traders and anti-consumers and had been entrusted without applying proper mind and ground realities.

Association president Subhash Kataria said the traders criticised this decision as it had come at a time when the market was going through recession and meeting competition with big malls. The impact of the decision was showing results before its proper implementation, resulting in a great setback to the trade and business activities, besides decline in footfall.

He said the decision was said to be had been taken for decongestion of traffic which was absolutely wrong perception as the MC/administration had failed to provide proper infrastructure for parking, including construction of multi-storey parking which was lingering for the past many years. To cover up their failure to control the traffic, they were introducing this hourly parking against the wishes of traders and consumer.

On May 21, the MC's finance and contract committee decided to introduce hourly parking fee from the paid parking area covered under fully automatic system -Empire Store parking and Sahib Singh Parking, Sector 17.