Haphazard parking chokes area near Mohali stadium

By: Piyush Sarna

MOHALI: Every time a cricket matches is organized at Mohali 's Punjab Cricket Association stadium, chaos caused due to haphazard parking by the visitors irks the residents and shop owners of the area.


Vehicles, especially four wheelers, are parked haphazardly not only near the stadium, but markets as well as residential areas nearby also witness a huge rush.

While the traffic cops are on their toes for smooth vehicular movement, people, mostly outsiders, tend to park their vehicles wherever they get a place, creating problems for the commuters and area residents.

"Every year during the matches, footfall adversely affects our business as customers tend to avoid this route due to heavy rush and traffic restrictions. Also, even if the match starts at night, the market starts witnessing a huge rush from noon onwards," said a hotel owner in Phase IX on condition of anonymity.

Ashok Kumar, president of the Phase IX Market Welfare Association, said, " Every year situation is same. When we come to our shops the next day, empty liquor bottles are a common sight in the parking lots. The new stadium, which will come at Mullanpur, will hopefully ease the situation."

Amrit, a resident who lives near the stadium, said visitors to the stadium often park their vehicles in residential areas, blocking entry to the houses.

Another resident Jaskaran Singh alleged, "It is mostly the outsiders who tend to park in the residential areas. They don't think twice before blocking the enterances of the houses. This is a big nuisance. They also leave behind heaps of trash. Waking up to the garbage on the road the next morning is not new for us."

"Instead of challaning the violators for wrong parking, our topmost priority is to make sure that the traffic flows in a smooth manner. Also, we don't have enough time to leave our spot and challan the violators," said a traffic official, who was specially called from Fatehgarh Sahib for traffic duty for the cricket match.