Parking bay closure disrupts traffic near Gold Souk Mall Sector 43

Parking and Traffic Issues in Sector 43 and Vyapar Kendra

Residents of Sector 43 and the nearby Vyapar Kendra area are experiencing significant parking and traffic problems. This follows the closure of a nearly two-acre temporary parking bay in front of Gold Souk Mall. Frequent traffic jams are now reported outside the commercial complex.

The Haryana Sheher Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) closed the temporary facility due to safety and sanitation issues. Residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) cite misuse, while shopkeepers report a decline in foot traffic.

Closure Details and Impact

The parking lot was shut down in September 2025, about a month before Diwali, due to safety and sanitation concerns. Residents say this has caused congestion on surrounding roads. During a spot check on Monday afternoon, a long queue of vehicles was seen outside the mall, with nearly a dozen cars parked along the now-fenced vacant land.

Dheeraj Shoukeen, a resident of Sector 28, stated, “The Vyapar Kendra road connecting to Sushant Lok I is highly congested after the parking lot was closed. It takes longer than usual to pass this stretch due to increased vehicular movement.”

Illegal Parking Concerns

Hitesh Sharma, a resident of Sushant Lok I, described the area as a “traffic menace” due to illegal parking. He noted, “Traffic police do come to visit the city to clear illegal parking during the weekends; however, the situation remains the same throughout the week.”

In September 2025, HSVP fenced the twin vacant plots, which are proposed for a commercial complex. A senior HSVP official, who requested anonymity, said, “Due to frequent complaints from residents of nearby societies, the decision was taken to not allow it as a parking until further notice.”

Misuse of Parking Lot

Vasu Sashti, president of the Sanskriti Apartments’ RWA, mentioned that the parking lot was misused by food vendors and taxi drivers. He said, “Open urinating and burning of plastic waste had become common practice at the parking lot. People used to park their vehicles inside late at night for drinking.”

Deepak, the security in charge and manager of Connoisseur Twin Towers, expressed safety concerns. He said, “Many of the flats have their balcony facing the parking lot, with residents frequently complaining about open urinating and wastefires.”

RWAs’ Action and Official Responses

Sashti noted that RWAs of 10 nearby societies jointly wrote to HSVP requesting the closure of the parking facility. Gyan Chand, sub-division engineer at HSVP, stated, “Following the complaints, both areas were fenced. A sale out or auction order for the sites was also issued for commercial purposes in late 2025.”

Impact on Gold Souk Mall

Shop owners at Gold Souk Mall reported a sharp drop in foot traffic after the closure. One store owner said, “Visitors who come to purchase branded jewellery often express safety concerns as their vehicles are parked on the opposite side of the complex.” Another owner mentioned theft-related incidents from a nearby community hall, although chain snatching outside the mall had stopped.

Police and Mall Response

A senior police official at Sushant Lok police station confirmed that two emergency response vehicles regularly patrol the area. He stated, “We haven’t received any complaints of theft or stealing. Challans are being issued to those who park illegally.”

A representative from Gold Souk Mall acknowledged the parking problems, saying, “It was opened temporarily during Diwali. Despite repeated correspondence to the authorities, nothing materialised. Another parking in front of the mall has been made functional on private land.”