Despite the allotment of parking slots for two-wheelers and cars coming to Ritchie Street, motorists continue to park their bikes haphazardly on Anna Salai, especially at the entrance to Ritchie Street, near the Government Estate CMRL station to Periyar Statue junction, and on the other side, up to Simpsons.
Since the lockdown was relaxed earlier this month, a huge rush has been seen at Ritchie Street electronics market every day. Many people throng the shops to purchase laptops, mobile phones and their accessories to help their children attend online classes.
As vehicle entry into the market has been barred, many motorists park their vehicles haphazardly on the road. Initially, there used to be six rows of bikes parked on the road from the Wallajah Road-Anna Salai Junction till Periyar Statue. “After repeated complaints, policemen placed barricades and regulated the parking. But even now, many park their bikes haphazardly and some even on the pavement. It becomes difficult for customers to enter the shops and for pedestrians to access the pavement. The situation worsens every afternoon despite police presence,” said a shopkeeper on Anna Salai.
Many shop owners claim that as their customers are not able to park their vehicles, they have lost business. “Many doctors and medical professionals approach the surgical shops on the road for emergency purchases. They are unable to park their vehicles and come into our shops,” said a staff member of a surgical shop.
More than 50 law and order police personnel have been deployed between the Wallajah Road-Anna Salai Junction till Periyar Statue to regulate parking. “The CMRL parking and space at Kalaivanar Arangam should be allotted for parking. Both are unused at present,” said a police constable. A senior police officer said that parking arrangements have been made on Sivananda Salai. “Since the parking facility at Casino Theatre is a paid one, many park their vehicles on Anna Salai. We are also imposing fines on those who park haphazardly,” explained the officer.
R. Chandalia, secretary of the Chennai Electronics and Infotech Traders Association, Ritchie Street, said that shopkeepers are equally surprised about the surge in vehicle parking because the footfalls in the market do not match the number of vehicles parked on the main roads. “All the shop owners are parking their vehicles at Casino Theatre (paid parking) and the police are constantly standing and tracking vehicle movement. We are also wondering where these vehicles are coming from as the footfalls in the market have fallen drastically,” he added.
Mukesh Khubchandani, President of All India Electronics Association, Chennai also pointed out that the number of people visiting the market has fallen and many customers are placing orders through calls. According to his analysis, the average footfall now is around 2,000 per day. almost half of what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Another trader here who wished anonymity, said that people going to nearby places are also parking vehicles near Ritchie Street and that could be the reason for the sudden rise in the number of vehicles. “The police people are closely tracking people movement in Ritchie Street and they are also ensuring that social distance is being maintained on the street,” he added.
Business yet to pick up
On the business front, traders here said that it has dipped on an average by 40-50%. “A lot of consignments from here go to neighbouring States and with the lockdown in Bengaluru, we were not able to send goods there. Consumers, and those from the student fraternity came to buy when the lockdown was lifted, but now again earnings have fallen,” Mr. Chandalia said.
“Only retailers are coming in to buy. Business is yet to pick up for the wholesalers. There is a huge demand from mobile retailers,” Mr.Khubchandani said and added that with markets in Madurai and down south closed, business has not been that good. Consignments coming to Ritchie Street from Delhi and Mumbai are also getting delayed. “Consignments that come in within seven days from the day the order is placed are now taking 10-15 days to reach Chennai. This is mainly due to lack of transportation,” Mr.Khubchandani pointed out.
With over 2,500 shops, Ritchie Street, is the second-largest market for electronics in India after Nehru Place in New Delhi. The street in Chennai is a household name for electronics goods with a huge stretch covering Narasingapuram street, Wallers Street, Meeran Sahib Street, Mohammed Hussain Sahib Street and Guruappa Road.
