Little consideration for SOPs: Peshawar gridlocked as shoppers throng bazaars

PESHAWAR: On the first day of relaxation in the lockdown, the people thronged the bazaars in droves and trampled the much talked about standard operating procedures (SOPs), triggering fears the carelessness could reverse the progress made during the last six weeks.

The government had decided that all businesses will remain open on Monday to Thursday from morning to afternoon. The shops will remain closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Though the government warned that it would seal shops in case of violations, it could not force the public to follow the instructions. Mohammad Shiraz, 65, a shopkeeper in Hashtnagri Bazaar, said it was not the job of shopkeepers to make the customers observe the social distancing rules. “We can request them but it is the responsibility of the authorities to implement orders,” he said, adding: “We are also faced with the coronavirus threat, but we have to do business to feed our families. The government should find a permanent solution as closing businesses would create more problems.” This correspondent observed many shoppers making mockery of the SOPs and claiming it was propaganda of the intelligence agencies and people with vested interests. The traffic from the main flyover bridge on GT Road was diverted towards Gulbahar, Nishtarabad and Ganj because of the traffic jam in Hashtnagri on the first day of relaxation of the lockdown.

The traffic jam was also observed on the University Road, the Peshawar Cantonment and other places in the city. Deploring the irresponsibility of the people, a worried professor said that the public in Paris did not come out of their houses unnecessarily despite relaxation in the lockdown. “Actually our people have not realised the gravity of the problem so they cannot be expected to follow the SOPs,” he argued.

He noted that with no punitive regulations in place, the government has to come up with a different approach. “One answer could be to revise and rationalize the relaxation of the lockdown to limit the number of people,” he added. According to him, the construction based businesses should be allowed to open on Monday and Tuesday while automobile related businesses, furniture and car dealers should remain open on Wednesday and Thursday.

He felt only essential shops such as medicine stores and groceries should be allowed to open as usual. “Clothing, shoes stores and family related businesses should be allowed to operate on Saturday and Sunday,” he said. He said this would reduce the number of people on the roads and in the bazaars and would make it easier for the administration to implement the SOPs.

“We must remind ourselves again and again that it will be many months of discipline before we get rid of this menace,” another resident said. However, the shopkeepers said the government should not leave the commoners on their own if the coronavirus situation was really so serious.

“Since we have no knowledge, we hear different things from people. We do not know who is right but the government knows everything and it should take decisions that are necessary our nation and country,” he added.