Irked over imposition of the new traffic plan which led to financial loss of the business communities, shopkeepers staged protested and shut down their shutters for three to four hours on Thursday.
The members of Vyapar Mandal led by Umesh Aggrawal squatted on the road in between Clock Tower to Astley Hall and demanded immediate withdrawal of the plan and resume previous route. After shutting down their shops, shopkeepers under the banner of Vyapar Sangathan assembled at MDDA parking and staged protest against imposition of new traffic plan without consultation with shopkeepers.
later they blocked the road outside MDDA parking for around 10 minutes which led to traffic congestions there. Seeing their protest a large number of police personnel were diverted to end the protest and police succeeded in resolving traffic congestion there. In his address to the protesters, Umesh Aggrawal alleged that due to imposition of new traffic plan business communities are facing financial loss in the State capital.
"We demand immediate withdrawal of new traffic plan and removal of district police head from the State Government," he added. He also warned that they will continue their protest unless and until police withdraw the plan. In the evening, a delegation of businessmen led by Aggrawal met the SSP Kewal Khurana and demanded withdrawal of new traffic plan in the State capital.
Aggrawal said," We refused SSP's proposal for two days' time for improvement in traffic system in the city as this plan is on trial mode. We will continue protesting against this plan in the state capital unless this decision is withdrawn by the police." One of the shopkeepers whose shop was at opposite side of MDDA parking said that due to imposition of this traffic plan in the city, very few customers have come at his shop.
"We received around 80 per cent financial loss after imposition of this traffic plan on Clock Tower and Astley hall route on Thursday," he added.