Nagpur:Despite having designated parking areas, several large commercial showrooms in Dharampeth are openly occupying public footpaths and roads, creating daily traffic snarls. With Itwari,the city’s oldest market- now congested beyond capacity, many traders and retailers have shifted to Dharampeth, Gokulpeth, Laxminagar, and Shankar Nagar, setting up expansive outlets along West High Court Road.
Most of these commercial buildings lack proper parking infrastructure, and even where it exists, regulations are routinely ignored. Vehicles belonging to customers are parked haphazardly on the roadside, leading to severe traffic congestion during evening hours.
Eyewitnesses say that even as cars line up right outside these showrooms, the Traffic Police and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) appear unmoved. Locals allege that enforcement officers are turning a blind eye to influential business owners who have virtually taken over public spaces.
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07 Oct 2025
By dusk, traffic in these zones slows to a crawl — vehicles remain stuck for up to half an hour, and residents complain of relentless honking and chaos. With little space left in Itwari’s old trading district, the city’s expanding commercial belt now stretches rapidly through Dharampeth, Gokulpeth, Giripeth, Laxminagar, North Ambazari Road, Shankar Nagar, Bajaj Nagar, and VNIT Road.
Retail Expansion Turning Into Parking Anarchy
Several national and international retail chains have established themselves in these upscale areas, drawing heavy customer traffic every day. However, many business owners are taking advantage of this growth by misusing public roads as their private parking zones, worsening the gridlock.
Citizens are questioning the administration’s silence, wondering whether the continued inaction of the traffic department and NMC reflects negligence—or quiet submission to the growing influence of powerful showroom owners.
