Sadar main road, the lifeline of Nagpur’s commercial activity, is bursting at the seams. Once known for its popular eateries, garment showrooms, and optical shops, the area today resembles a massive, chaotic parking lot. Every inch of road, footpath, and even shopfront space has been swallowed by vehicles, two-wheelers, four-wheelers, rickshaws, and delivery vans. Despite being a Tier-2 city, Nagpur’s parking woes in Sadar look no different from the chaos of Delhi’s Chandni Chowk or Mumbai’s Dadar area.

 

 

The streets highlight the ugly reality: roads meant for vehicles are choked with parked cars, footpaths meant for pedestrians are occupied by scooters, and entrances of shops are blocked by autos and customer vehicles. And the question for citizens continues to scream louder: Where is the space to park? In front of the landmark Haldiram’s outlet, cars are jammed in two rows, one line ‘parked’ tightly against the footpath and another spilling into the moving traffic lane. Auto-rickshaws wait in front of the entrance, right where customers walk in and out with food packets. Pedestrians, including families with children, are left to weave dangerously between cars and autos just to cross the road.

 

On the opposite side, the road is lined with tightly parked four-wheelers, which depict how Sadar’s reputation as a shopping hub attracts a huge amount of people. But the heavy inflow means cars are simply dumped wherever space is found, irrespective of lanes or footpaths. Customers on scooters stop right at the entrance and zig-zag through the four-wheelers, to pick up snacks, blocking the lane for everyone behind them. Footpaths in front of shops are invisible, covered either with motorcycles or with goods Contd from page 1 displayed by traders. Pedestrians left stranded The footpaths of Sadar are virtually extinct as what should have been a walking strip is now an extended parking space for two-wheelers. Scooters are packed so tightly together that even riders struggle to retrieve them, sometimes dragging vehicles out onto the main road. For pedestrians, this means walking in the middle of moving traffic.

 

The situation turns particularly unsafe during evenings. Families shopping for clothes or eating at roadside stalls are forced to lead children by hand in between parked vehicles, while honking bikes brush past them. Clogged arteries Traffic slows to a crawl as buses, trucks supplying goods, attempt to squeeze through. The result is a constant symphony of honks, shouts, and stalled engines. During peak hours, especially evenings, the congestion spills all the way from Sadar Chowk to Residency Road. Business vs chaos Traders in Sadar admit that while business is booming, traffic mismanagement is strangling the area.

 

Customers in cars often circle endlessly before finding a gap to squeeze their vehicle. Many end up parking right in the middle of the road, dashing into shops for quick purchases. The presence of iconic food spots worsens matters, as they attract heavy crowds daily. Shoppers come from across Nagpur and even nearby towns, but with no parking lots provided, the burden falls on already narrow roads. “Shops are thriving, but customers complain they waste more time parking than shopping,” says one trader. “We are losing footfall because families now prefer malls with structured parking.” Citizens’ frustrations For pedestrians, the situation is terrifying. “We can’t walk even two steps without dodging scooters. My kids are always at risk here,” said a mother who was struggling to cross. Commuters complain that once inside Sadar, it takes nearly 20 minutes just to cover a 300-metre stretch. “Auto-rickshaws stop anywhere, bikers don’t care, and cars stand with blinkers on.

 

Police are missing most of the time,” said a college student. Many traders put their delivery vans and staff vehicles on the roadside, further reducing road width. Shops spill goods onto footpaths, leaving nothing for pedestrians. Suggestions Dedicated parking lots: Authorities must urgently identify empty plots nearby and convert them into structured parking for four-wheelers and two-wheelers. Traffic marshals: Continuous deployment of traffic police and marshals, especially between 5 pm and 9 pm, to prevent chaos. Ban on roadside halts: Auto-rickshaws should not be allowed to stand in front of shops. Passenger pickup points must be shifted. Towing, not fines: Randomly parked vehicles should be immediately towed instead of imposing fines without alternatives. Vendor management: Roadside food stalls should be shifted into designated vending zones to decongest prime stretches.