Coimbatore City Police suggest traders to keep shops open at night to ease Deepavali rush

Coimbatore City Police propose night shopping ahead of Deepavali to reduce rush. Police inform traders, who welcome the move. Police to deploy personnel for safety and to decongest traffic. Night shopping to help people plan shopping and avoid traffic snarls.

The Coimbatore City Police have proposed to traders that they can keep the retail outlets open during night hours ahead of Deepavali to reduce the rush of festival shoppers.

Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan said the police have informed traders organisations that night shopping could be allowed from November 4 (Friday).

“Traders have welcomed the move and said that they might keep shops open during night hours for three days before Deepavali. The arrangement is to decongest the shopping areas in the city,” he said.

With flyover construction works underway on Avinashi Road, in Ukkadam, and parts of some other major roads, the increase in shopping crowd is expected to create traffic snarls in the city. If night shopping is allowed, people can plan their shopping accordingly and visit the market area late at night.

“The police do not have any issue in permitting night shopping. If traders want to make use of the arrangement, they need to alert us in advance. The police will plan accordingly and deploy personnel to ensure safety of the public,” Mr. Balakrishnan said.

The police will increase deployment of personnel in busy shopping areas, including Cross Cut Road, 100 Feet Road, Big Bazaar Street, Oppanakkara Street, in the coming days till Deepavali that falls on November 12.