The footpath markets running along the prime roads, especially of vegetables and fruits, attract the commuters passing in their vehicles. People halting at these markets stop their vehicles randomly, obstructing the smooth flow of traffic. Most such cases of traffic congestion are generally witnessed in evening hours when the roads are full of office-goers rushing home.

Cases of road congestion due to illegal parking are a common sight at prime locations, like secretariat, HartaliMor, Jagdeo Path, Boring Road and Station area. Even pedestrians find it tough to move on these roads.

Interestingly, it is not only private vehicles that stop at footpath markets; even those carrying government officials do so. A traffic policeman said on condition of anonymity, "We try to convince the vehicles violating the rules instead of imposing fine, but no one cares."

Madhupriya Mukherjee, a teacher, said, "Returning from school is challenging these days. People blatantly violate traffic rules by parking their vehicles anywhere they feel like on the road."

Binod Singh, a no-honking campaigner, says, "People must develop the habit of honking only when it is required. Rising noise pollution in the city is one of the major contributors for grim faces of children returning to their homes in school buses."

A shopper at the vegetable market near the New Secretariat building blamed the government for lack of his traffic sense. "The government should first make arrangements for proper vendor market with parking facilities before taking punitive measures," he said.

Patna Traffic SP Prantosh Kumar Das said almost 50% of traffic congestion is due to illegal parking, which leads to rising noise and air pollution. The city traffic police don't have adequate towing facilities. "The process for acquiring towing vans is in an advanced stage. In the next 15 days, we will have adequate towing vans and cranes to get rid of this congestion and the consequent noise pollution," Das said.