Noida traders seek weekend relaxation

Noida: As the night curfew timings are going to be relaxed from Monday, traders in the city have now sought relaxation in the weekend restrictions in order to improve their business

Noida: As the night curfew timings are going to be relaxed from Monday, traders in the city have now sought relaxation in the weekend restrictions in order to improve their business.

HT Image

In its unlock guidelines issued on June 15, the government reduced the night curfew timings by two hours that will be in effect from June 21. The new curfew timings will be from 9pm to 7am. Earlier, it was between 7pm and 7am. However, the markets will still be required to shut on weekends for sanitisation, the guidelines had said.

However, the traders want work to resume on the weekends now. “Many stores have shut down permanently due to the two Covid-19 waves and subsequent lockdown protocols. Most of our customers usually come out for shopping on the weekends. But with businesses remaining closed during that period, the customers will turn to online marketplace. As a result, we will face further losses,” said Sachin Paul, a shoe shop owner in Sector 18 market.

“The weekend business is comfortably 1.5 times that of the five weekdays. Plus markets are operational in Delhi. Our customers will end up going there if weekends here remain closed. Also, even though the restaurants are allowed to open, with a 9pm deadline they will not be able to cater to the rush,” Jain said.

Markets in the city had reopened from June 7 after a month’s lockdown as the active cases had come down to below 600. Gautam Budh Nagar administration officials said that the weekends will be used for sanitisation purposes.

However, the traders feel that it would be more beneficial for them if weekend relaxations came into place and a weekday was instead allotted for sanitization.

“If the shops are allowed to open on the weekends, we will see more customers. People are anyway hesitant to step out and there is little chance for huge market rush. But businesses will start recovering the losses they have incurred since last year,” said Vicky Yadav, owner of a photography store in Sector 76.

District administration officials said that relaxations are happening gradually. “The Covid-19 situation is slowly improving. With the fresh set of guidelines, more relaxations are being given. The situation is being monitored and necessary calls will be taken accordingly,” said Uma Shankar Singh, city magistrate.