The government
has decided to declare the city's main road, from Chanmari to Zodin, a stretch of about two kms, a no vehicle zone in view of pedestrians' safety during the peak hours of festive shopping from December 22 to 24, and December 30 and 31.
The road houses the Aizawl's main shopping hubs.
However, traders and public transport operators, like city buses and taxis, have strongly opposed to the decision, claiming that they had lost huge amount of money during the last year, when the government had also declared the road as 'No Vehicle Zone'.
Mizoram Merchants Association, comprising 16 different traders associations, claimed that they had lost at least Rs 5.5 crore due to the no vehicle zone last year.
As vehicles could not enter the main market area, people were prevented from buying bulk items which they could not carry in hands.
''The government has indirectly suffered from the decline in our sales as tax collection automatically decreased,'' H Lianzama, general secretary of Mizoram Merchants Association, said today.
As the merchants are determined to go ahead with their proposed down shutters programme from dawn-to-dusk on Monday, state Transport Minister called the agitators as 'spoiled brats'.
--UNI
