Parking bay closure triggers traffic chaos near Gold Souk Mall, Sector 43

Fencing of two-acre temporary lot after resident complaints has led to jams, illegal parking and longer commute times in Vyapar Kendra

Residents of Sector 43 and the adjoining Vyapar Kendra area are facing severe parking and traffic problems following the closure of a nearly two-acre temporary parking bay in front of Gold Souk Mall, with frequent traffic jams now reported outside the commercial complex.

HSVP closed the temporary facility over safety and sanitation issues; RWAs cite misuse, while shopkeepers report falling footfall (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Residents said the shutdown of the parking lot, which took place around a month before Diwali in September 2025 due to safety and sanitation concerns, has led to congestion on surrounding roads. During an HT spotcheck on Monday afternoon, a long queue of vehicles was seen outside the mall, with nearly a dozen cars parked along the periphery of the now-fenced vacant land.

“The Vyapar Kendra road connecting to Sushant Lok I is highly congested after the parking lot was closed. It takes longer than usual to pass this stretch due to increased vehicular movement,” said Dheeraj Shoukeen, a resident of Sector 28.

Hitesh Sharma, a resident of Sushant Lok I, said the area had become a “traffic menace” due to illegal parking. “Traffic police do come to visit the city to clear illegal parking during the weekends; however, the situation remains the same throughout the week,” Sharma said.

The Haryana Sheher Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) fenced the twin vacant plots, proposed for a commercial complex, in September 2025. “Due to frequent complaints from residents of nearby societies, the decision was taken to not allow it as a parking until further notice,” a senior HSVP official said, requesting anonymity.

Vasu Sashti, president of Sanskriti Apartments’ residents welfare association (RWA), said the parking lot was being misused by food vendors and taxi drivers. “Open urinating and burning of plastic waste had become common practice at the parking lot. People used to park their vehicles inside late at night for drinking,” Sashti said.

Deepak, the security in charge and manager of Connoisseur Twin Towers, said the society shares a boundary wall with the parking lot, raising safety concerns. “Many of the flats have their balcony facing the parking lot, with residents frequently complaining about open urinating and wastefires,” he said, adding that CCTV cameras and round-the-clock guards were deployed.

Sashti said RWAs of 10 nearby societies jointly wrote to HSVP seeking closure of the parking facility. Gyan Chand, sub-division engineer at HSVP, said, “Following the complaints, both the areas were fenced. A sale out or auction order for the sites was also issued for commercial purposes in late 2025.”

Meanwhile, shop owners at Gold Souk mall said footfall had dropped sharply after the closure. “Visitors who come to purchase branded jewellery often express safety concerns as their vehicles are parked on the opposite side of the complex,” a store owner said, requesting anonymity. Another owner said theft-related incidents were reported from a nearby community hall, though chain snatching had stopped outside the mall.

A senior police official at Sushant Lok police station said two emergency response vehicles regularly patrol the area. “We haven’t received any complaints of theft or stealing. Challans are being issued to those who park illegally,” the official said.

A Gold Souk mall representative acknowledged parking problems, saying, “It was opened temporarily during Diwali. Despite repeated correspondence to the authorities, nothing materialised. Another parking in front of the mall has been made functional on private land.”