Metro mess causes dip in sales for Wazirpur dealers

After negotiating with huge traffic jams around Delhi's Connaught Place because of Delhi Metro's construction work at Janpath, Wazirpur IT market must now brace themselves for further inconvenience for at least 2 more years. The ongoing Delhi Metro construction work for connecting the ring roads of Delhi has started spoiling the sales of Wazirpur based IT trader. Traders in this market say they already feel the effect of what they think would be a prolonged spell of poor business.

"Ever since advertisements and advisories by traffic police have been published, our sales have seen a remarkable dip. The footfall to our IT market has gone down drastically, which means our sales have dipped by 50%. Customers are facing a challenge to enter the complex and availability of parking has become a big crisis. Presently, one parking area is operational and remaining two are closed down due to metro work. Customers are scared of extended traffic jams and unavailability of parking space," said Mukesh Gupta, president, North West Computer Traders Welfare Association.

The metro mess also forced many of the small time IT companies to shut down their shops. Even shops which are ring road facing are relocating their retail showrooms either out of the complex or moving to central plaza.

Lamenting on the same, another occupant of Wazirpur IT market, Avishkar Arora of ALA Computers, said, "The metro inconvenience has adversely impacted our sales. Due to negligible footfall, I have shifted my retail store Computer Junction to other side of the complex, which is still getting footfalls. I spent Rs 5 lakh to relocate my store and still the sale is low."

Arora also added, "Since metro will hold our business for the next 2 years, to make our survival, we are doing our bit. The rental rate has come down and it is creating a delay in receiving or supplying the materiel."

Nevertheless, the local IT association is putting signage, hoarding, distributing pamphlets and inserts to attract and guide customers to enter to the complex. Several shoppers to this market have already felt the impact of never-ending construction work, regular goers dread to enter the area due to traffic diversions and parking chaos. Traders and their businesses aside, locals say even getting to their homes have become cumbersome.