PESHAWAR  –  As Eid shopping gathers momentum in the final days of Ramazan, the festive excitement in markets across Peshawar is increasingly overshadowed by a persistent problem of shortage of car parking spaces. Every evening after Iftar, major commercial areas of the provincial capital turn into bustling hubs as families flock to buy clothes, shoes and other essentials ahead of Eid al-Fitr.  However, the surge in visitors has created severe parking shortages, leaving shoppers struggling to find space for their vehicles. Markets and plazas in cantonment areas, Tehkal, University Road, Jehangirabad and the historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar remain crowded until late at night as people, including women and children, browse stalls and shopping centres in preparation for the festival. With limited designated parking areas, many motorists are forced to leave their cars along main roads and even on footpaths, triggering long traffic queues and frequent gridlocks, particularly in the hours leading up to Iftar. The congestion worsens further near popular commercial plazas such as Deans Trade Centre, Meena Bazaar, Qissa Khwani and CT Tower, where hundreds of vehicles compete for a handful of parking spots. For many visitors arriving from nearby districts, the experience has become increasingly frustrating these days.  “Traffic jams are a big issue these days in Peshawar,” said Nazir Khan, a retired Govt employee who travelled from Nowshera with his family for Eid shopping. “We spent nearly two hours stuck in traffic on University Road before we could even reach the market and broke fast in car last Sunday.” According to Nazir Khan, disorderly roadside parking has paralysed traffic flow and added to the stress of both drivers and pedestrians.

He said some families are forced to break their fast inside their vehicles while waiting for traffic to move. He also pointed out that the dedicated corridor of the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit has further narrowed road space in some areas, intensifying congestion during peak hours. Adding to the problem, private parking contractors are reportedly charging between Rs100 per vehicle, a cost many middle- and lower-income families say they struggle to afford. Residents say the situation demands urgent attention from the district administration, the Peshawar Development Authority and traffic police to ensure proper parking arrangements near busy markets during the Eid shopping rush. The shopper’s problems further increase in case a vehicle is lifted by the traffic police. With the festive rush expected to intensify further on Chand Raat, shoppers hope that better traffic management and affordable parking facilities will ease their journey to the markets, allowing them to focus on the joy of preparing for Eid rather than the stress of navigating clogged streets.