Vehicle curbs hit market sales, footfall drops

Markets across the national Capital have reported a decline in sales and footfall following the ban on non-BS VI vehicles and the enforcement of the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule, with traders saying fewer buyers from the National Capital Region (NCR) are visiting Delhi’s key shopping hubs.

Sadar Bazaar, one of Delhi’s largest wholesale markets that largely depends on retailers from neighbouring NCR towns, has seen sales fall by around 30 to 35 per cent due to reduced movement, Paramjit Singh Pamma, chairman of the Sadar Bazaar Association, said.

Pamma said that buyers from outside Delhi have limited their visits since the restrictions came into force.

“Around 30 to 35 per cent of our sales have been affected as retailers from NCR are coming less frequently,” he said.

With the festive season underway, traders said the impact is being felt more sharply. “We have Christmas and New Year stock piled up, but the number of buyers is much lower compared to last year and overall footfall has dropped by nearly 35 per cent,” Pamma added.

Similar concerns were raised by traders at Sarojini Nagar market, a popular destination for winter shopping.

Ashok Randhawa, president of the Sarojini Market Association, said the crowd has thinned over the past week.

“There has been about a 40 per cent reduction in footfall. Winter clothes that used to sell out in a few days are now lying unsold as customers from NCR are not coming,” he said.

Traders in South Delhi markets have also reported a slowdown.

Kuldeep Kumar, president of the Lajpat Nagar Market Association, said the curbs have affected both shoppers and small traders. “Footfall has gone down noticeably in the last few days and this has had a direct impact on daily sales, especially the clothing market,” Kumar said.

The curbs come as authorities stepped up pollution control measures amid worsening air quality.

Since Thursday, private vehicles from outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards have been barred from entering the city.

In addition, the “No PUC, No Fuel” rule has come into force, under which fuel stations are prohibited from dispensing fuel to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate.

The enforcement is being carried out using automatic number plate recognition cameras, voice alerts at petrol pumps and police support.