Sunday market at SM Street is an attraction for many city dwellers as they can easily pick the items of their choice without much search.
However, the move of the vendors to occupy the parking slot allotted for two wheelers make shopping here a difficult task for many.
The two-wheeler parking zone near SK Pootekkat’s sculpture is occupied by vendors on Sundays to attract more customers catching them at the very entrance of the market. Besides, parking slots on the roads sides are also occupied by vendors on Sundays making it a tough task for customers to park their vehicle.
“I had to send my wife for shopping alone as I cannot leave my bike unattended at this busy street. It is not possible to leave it in the street as it would create problem for others,” shared an annoyed Rahnas Ameer. Why the city police and the corporation permit the vendors to occupy the existing parking slots when even that slot is not sufficient to accommodate the vehicles reaching SM Street, he asked.
Unlike on other days, customers find it hard to park near the shops.
Encroachment at the parking place make it hard even for the pedestrians. Two-wheeler owners instead of parking it at the entrance and walk and shop, they take their vehicle with them creating difficulties for pedestrians.
The parking lot near the entrance of SM Street is usually occupied by plant sapling vendors who sell flowers, fruits, medicinal plants and seeds. Parking lot on the PM Taj road is usually occupied by cloth vendors.
The situation has worsened with the Vishu-Easter season as the number of customers reaching SM Street and Palayam has multi-folded.
Parking is a tough task even during week days as the vehicles flowing to SM Street is high during this season, said K Krishnakumar, a computer shop owner.
“I had to wait for more than 20 minutes to get a slot for parking my bike when I reached SM Street on Saturday,” he said.
When asked about the issue a senior official with the city police said that they had not been objecting wayside vending at parking areas on Sundays as majority of the other shops remain closed on those days.
“It is a livelihood for many vendors. However, they do not have any legal rights to engage in vending at parking slot and they would be shifted if we get any complaint from public,” the official added.