Kollam: Even as Kollam gears up for the Onam shopping rush, the Main Road here has already begun choking under haphazard parking and pavement encroachments. With just three days to go for Atham, the rush is expected to intensify in the days ahead, raising concerns over traffic congestion in the city.

Vehicles are being parked indiscriminately along the stretch, with some taking up space almost up to the middle of the carriageway, while others remain parked for hours on end. Unless proper parking arrangements are put in place, the situation could lead to severe traffic congestion in the coming days.

The parking chaos also threatens to hit businesses during the Onam shopping season. In previous years, shop owners had made separate arrangements to park their vehicles away from the Main Road, particularly as they often remained there for long hours. Such arrangements, however, appear to be missing this year.

Adding to the problem, several shops have occupied entire stretches of the pavement to display their Onam wares, forcing pedestrians onto the busy road to compete for space with vehicles.

Earlier, parking was permitted on one side of certain stretches of the Main Road, with designated areas marked for the purpose. However, the markings have faded over time, leaving motorists unclear about where parking is permitted.

The busy Payikkada Road too is facing a similar problem, with several shops occupying pavements to display their goods. With pedestrian space shrinking and shopping activity picking up, the encroachments could further aggravate traffic problems in the coming days