Traffic jams prevailed across the city on Wednesday evening as residents stepped out to do last-minute shopping and enjoy festive decorations ahead of Diwali.

Roads around popular markets and Nexus Elante mall remained full of vehicles, while roads connecting Chandigarh with neighboring towns like Mohali, Panchkula and Zirakpur also saw traffic moving at a snail’s pace.

Traffic jams around markets in sectors 17, 22 and 35 began in the afternoon, with the situation only improving by 8 p.m., as shoppers completed their festive shopping.

At peak shopping times in the evening, even those looking for a taxi found themselves stranded, with virtually no rides available and fares increasing three or four times.

Speaking about the response this time, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal President Charanjiv Singh said that this Diwali was being celebrated on a large scale, giving a boost to businesses after the Covid-induced crisis in 2020.

He said: “Traders are happy with the response. The traffic police had deployed policemen in major markets to regulate the movement of vehicles on the roads, while the market associations managed parking inside the parking lots and guided people to designated public schools nearby for park.

Singh added that the Beopar Mandal had instituted an award for the “best managed parking lot” and the winner would be announced after Diwali.

Hitesh Puri, president of Chandigarh Residents’ Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), complained that visitors were even parking their vehicles outside houses, adding to the chaos.

He noted that in previous years, traffic police worked with CRAWFED and helped install banners to guide visitors to designated parking lots. But nothing was done this time and the RWAs were ignored.

Traffic police have teamed up with government schools and some colleges to serve as makeshift parking lots near markets to cope with the festive rush. Schools were open for parking from October 12 to November 1.

If the initiative met with a good response in markets like sectors 19 and 22, in other places, the long distance between the market and the school proved to be a deterrent for visitors, who parked willy-nilly their vehicles in front of the markets, even illegally, thus obstructing the markets. roads. Several visitors said they simply weren’t aware of alternative parking options.