Cuttack, Feb. 9: Local traders today observed a shutdown and staged a demonstration at Nayasarak to protest against the administration's decision to introduce hourly paid parking system here.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation and police will shortly introduce the system to enforce discipline and check vehicular congestion on the busy Nayasarak road. According to the proposals, Rs 5 will be charged from two and three-wheelers per hour, while the four-wheelers will have to pay Rs 10 per hour for parking their vehicles on the stretch between Nayasarak and Balu Bazaar.

The traders staged an agitation today, demanding immediate rollback of the decision.

"The civic body has not sought the suggestions of the traders and the local puja committee regarding the new parking system which is arbitrary and unjustified," said Sanjay Sahu, president of the Nayasarak Puja Committee.

Sahu said the consumers would avoid visiting the commercial centre if they had to pay a heavy parking fee, and in the process, it would affect the traders' business.

At present, there are over 250 shops ranging from medicines, garments to leading jewellery stores at Nayasarak that is one of the prime commercial centres in the city.

In 2011, the police had introduced a "one-side parking" system allowing vehicles to park on both sides of the road on alternative days to streamline vehicular traffic. This system is enforced on the stretch from High Court Chhak to Choudhry Bazaar via Nayasarak. At present, no three or four-wheeler is allowed to move straight towards Choudhry Bazar via Nayasarak from the High Court and Chandni Chowk sides.

"We are not against paid parking, but the traders as well as the consumers will face problems if they have to cough up more for parking their vehicles for a long time. The new arrangement will lead to unrest as well as resentment among all," said Sidhart Sharma, a trader.

A delegation of the traders and the puja committee will shortly meet senior officials of the municipal corporation to press for their demands.

On the other hand, a senior traffic official said that following its approval by the high-level traffic management committee, the hourly paid parking system would be introduced to resolve various traffic related issues at Nayasarak.

"Due to arbitrary parking on both sides of the road, it has been decided to charge parking fee on hourly basis to enforce discipline," said P.K. Dalai, assistant commissioner of police (traffic).

Dalai said that besides Nayasarak, there were plans to implement the same parking arrangement in other parts of the city as well.