More than a month following the relaxation of the ban on entry of two wheelers in the Paltan Bazaar, this decision elicits mixed response as many traders happy with the development, while many shoppers who walk in the market are unhappy with the entry of vehicles.
It will be recalled that the Dehradun senior supertintendent of police Kewal Khurana had imposed a ban on entry of two-wheelers in the Paltan Bazaar to prevent traffic congestion and inconvenience to the pedestrians. Some members of the business fraternity had started to stage protests after the death of a shopkeeper in the bazaar in March this year demanding withdrawal of the ban. A day before the Doon visit of AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi, the chief minister ordered relaxation of the ban after which two-wheelers have been entering the bazaar between 10:30 AM and 3:00 PM. Though the traders and some shoppers are happy with this development, some traders are of the view that the period of relaxation should be extended till the evening.
Many shop keepers state that the ban on entry of two-wheelers was impractical and bad for business and the shoppers who had to walk to the shops in stead of riding to the outlets. This had decreased the number of shoppers.
The shop keepers are now happier as shoppers can now ride to the shops following relaxation in the ban. However, the entry of vehicles has once against started posing problems for the pedestrians. The road has now become congested and it has become inconvenient for the pedestrians who cannot walk freely on the road due to the movement and parking of the vehicles on the road.
When asked about the probems being faced in traffic regulation following relaxation of the ban, traffic police man Umesh Kumar avoided elaborating but said that two-wheelers are strictly prohibited from entering Paltan Bazaar from 3 pm.