Jalandhar: Congestion looms large, with chemists and customers struggling to commute at Dilkusha Market.

Jalandhar: Shopkeepers, wholesalers, and medicine buyers are struggling in Dilkusha Market. Busy roads all around cause traffic jams in the market area, leading to daily traffic jams. Although there are chemist shops throughout the city and pharmacies in every private hospital, shoppers prefer to buy in bulk from the wholesale chemists in the market, as they find medicines at lower prices. However, many say access to the market area is the biggest challenge. The old GT Road runs along one side of the market, and the Company Bagh to Jyoti Chowk road is also busy. A multiplex runs along the other side, and visitors often park their vehicles on the sidewalk to avoid paying parking charges. “This is the most common cause of traffic jams in the market,” said Nishan Chopra, treasurer and past president of the market’s Wholesale Chemists Association. Chopra said, “We have three parking lots around the market. There’s a basement parking lot outside the MC office at Company Bagh Chowk. Hotel Ranveer Prime has a parking lot, and another near Patel Hospital. Most chemists and our staff use these three parking lots. Most retail shoppers park in front of different shops to make their purchases, causing traffic congestion.” Cars are also nearly impossible to exit the market, and two-wheelers often get stuck in traffic jams. Sometimes, autorickshaws—often used for loading and unloading goods—also get caught in the chaos. Since every wholesaler supplies retail to local chemists, their staff have a hard time getting out and back in, further exacerbating the congestion. Riya Gill, a shopper, said, “I go to Dilkusha Market to buy my parents’ monthly medicines. I prefer to buy them here because other chemists in the city rarely offer any discounts. But whenever I come here, it takes a while to buy, and even more time to navigate and park my scooter.” Rajat Ahuja, a chemist, added, “There are some days when visitors park properly and traffic is smooth. However, even a single vehicle parked haphazardly can cause chaos. However, our association is making some efforts to address this issue, and we hope to find a solution soon.” Gurbaj Singh, ADCP, Traffic, Jalandhar, said, “Two traffic personnel from our team are always stationed around the market. However, shoppers, claiming it’s an emergency, park their vehicles haphazardly, often causing chaos.”