Trichy: Almost a month after the district administration banned vegetables and fruit laden heavy vehicles from entering Gandhi market, traffic congestion is still a concern in the area. Even as traffic policemen have been deployed at the entry and exit points to ensure that heavy vehicles are not entering the market, snarl-ups continue to happen in the market and the adjoining roads due to multiple factors including encroachments by street vendors. Citing the congestion, wholesale traders have reiterated their demand for relaxation of the ban for one year until they identify a market facility on their own.As the district administration inaugurated Kallikudi integrated vegetable market on the city outskirts on June 30, a ban on the entry of heavy vehicles with vegetable and fruit was simultaneously implemented. But, the wholesale traders used mini-trucks to shift the goods to Gandhi market from a makeshift market along the National Highways. Though the ban on heavy vehicles brought some relief to the commuters, restrictions are not solving the real issue as congestion is happening now and then. "Certainly the congestion has come down to an extent but traffic snarls are recurring. Both government and private buses fail to halt the fleets near the bus stops," S Anandan, a visitor to Gandhi market, said.As heavy vehicles carrying groceries and construction materials still enter the cramped market, the ban on vegetables and fruit laden trucks alone fails to make a big difference. "Trucks carrying groceries and construction materials are still entering the market roads as they face no restriction. The district administration should ban all the trucks entering the market if they are concerned about addressing the traffic congestion," V R Soundarrajan, honourary president, Trichy Wholesale Potato Traders Association said.Other major reason for the traffic congestion is the encroachments by street vendors who place their carts along arterial roads and junctions to attract customers. With the street vendors occupying bus stops and road corners near the market, traffic snarls continue in the Thanjavur Main Road particularly near the War Memorial with buses halting on the roads. "We are gradually streamlining traffic in the market locality to prevent snarl-ups permanently. Street vendors were marked by boundaries, and were told not to host shops beyond the line," a senior police officer with traffic wing said.

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