Jaipur: Encroachment by corner shops on pavements at major intersections is worsening traffic congestion in the city, causing regular disruptions for motorists. Commuters say key crossings including Takht-E-Shahi Marg–JLN Marg, Chomu House Circle, Ambabari Circle and Narayan Singh Circle are the worst affected. Vehicles attempting to take left turns get blocked by encroachments, creating long queues and extending traffic snarls on adjoining roads. “The other day, I was heading towards Tonk Road from JLN Marg, and while taking a left turn towards Takht-E-Shahi, I got stuck as a couple of bikes and a car were parked right at the corner to buy a few products from two cigarette shops located at the corner. A similar situation takes place when you head towards JLN Marg through Takht Shahi Marg because of these Pav Bhaji stalls during the evening,” said Mohit Bhatnagar, a resident of Bapu Nagar.In Dec 2024, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s convoy met with an accident at Chomu House Circle when a vehicle coming from the Statue Circle side entered the opposite flank to violate the signal. Investigations revealed that the vehicle was taking a left turn, and when the driver realised that vehicles on the corridor meant for left turns were stuck, he decided to take the opposite flank and cross the vehicles stranded at the signal to take a left turn from the crossing. “There are a couple of stalls right at the Sardar Patel Marg-bound flank of the Prithviraj Road. Often, vehicles taking a left turn through the corridor for left turns at this crossing get stuck. This is because customers of these stalls (motorists) park their vehicles on this narrow corridor and buy products. Such situations prevail elsewhere in Jaipur also,” said Prateek Parekh, a C-Scheme resident.Amid the chaos, traffic police and civic bodies continue to pass the buck, with the traffic department pointing to civic authorities and civic officials insisting that most shops hold valid licences. “The problem is most of these stalls have valid licences, and we cannot remove them as encroachments. There are also a few govt-backed Saras Dairies located at the corner of important crossings,” said a senior official from Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) Greater.
Corner shops encroach pavements, cause traffic snarls at city crossings | Jaipur News
