Driving through Gouri Shankar Road in Jugsalai is a nightmare for commuters. The situation is no better at the Ram Tekri Road, or for that matter the Purani Basti Road in the commercial hub, thanks to haphazard parking of vehicles in the absence of a dedicated parking slot.

The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( SCCI) has decided to take it up with East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Ravi Shankar Shukla.

“Last year the area close to the Jugsalai railway crossing was made free of encroachments,” said Ashok Bhalotia, president of the trade outfit. “All the makeshift shops and other temporary structures were removed. Now, the administration should utilise the vacant area for parking as Jugsalai faces immense problems of parking in absence of a dedicated parking area.”

Traders often complain that haphazard parking of vehicles, especially two-wheelers, poses obstacles in conducting their business in Jugslai.

“The problem of parking vehicles has become acute,” said Mahesh Agarwal, owner of a textile shop near Bata Chowk in Jugsalai. “The local administration should take immediate measures for providing a separate place for parking of vehicles. They should develop the vacant space near the Jugsalai railway crossing into a parking area. The land is adequate for facilitating parking of both cars and two-wheelers.”

The East Singhbhum district administration during a massive anti-encroachment drive in March last year removed many makeshift shops near the Jugsalai railway crossing. Since then the land is lying unutilised.

“Jugsalai is as important a commercial centre as Bistupur and Sakchi. When there are designated parking lots in Bistupur and Sakchi why not such a parking area is made in Jugsalai?” asked Vijay Anand Moonka vice-president (public relations and welfare), SCCI. “The land which was cleared of encroachments is lying vacant and unutilised. The local urban civic body (Jugsalai municipality) should convert the land into a parking area and run it by charging necessary parking fees. Traders are ready to pay parking fees.”

Commenting on the parking menace, Paramjeet Bhatia, a resident of D'Costa Mansion near ME School Road, said: “Commuting through the road is quite difficult after the shops open around 11am. In the absence of any parking slots, traders and people coming to the commercial centre for shopping face immense hardships almost every day due to haphazard parking of vehicles. It is high time that the local administration and the civic body initiate some concrete steps for resolving the issue.”

Located on the southern fringe of steel city, Jugsalai is a wholesale hub. Almost all kinds of commodities and products are sold at the commercial centre which has more than 1,000 shops, offices and other establishments.