Thursday, 01 February 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The shop owners and residents in Dehradun have expressed concern over the inefficacy of the anti-encroachment drive conducted by the police following the direction of the district administration. The shop owners trading in the main market The Pioneer talked to were nearly unanimous in their view that a permanent solution, instead of a one-off campaign, is the need of the hour. They further demanded the police to conduct repetitive inspections at the market to mitigate the traffic congestion woes.
A resident of the city Rajeev Thapliyal said that the shrinkage of the footpaths due to encroachment is making the pedestrians vulnerable to reckless driving that, he said, has become a norm on the city roads. “On one hand, there is hardly any footpath and on the other whatever space is left alongside the roads is being encroached upon by the street vendors and cart holders, compounding safety risks for the pedestrians,” he said and added that the administration must go for permanent solution instead of providing palliatives from time to time. “A separate market should be there and the street vendors and cart vendors must be shifted,” he said.
Another local Satyam Narang said that traffic congestion is a major ordeal for those driving in the localities adjacent to markets. “The presence of the street vendors every three to four meters in the already congested market area compounds the on- the- road ordeal for us. Traffic crawls and those thronging the market for shopping purposes have hardly any space to walk on. Given our experiences, running a short-term campaign is insufficient and a lasting solution must be found out,” he added.
Asked why the street vendors reappear in the markets despite being slapped with penalties time and again, a shop owner Vishal Jaiswal vented frustration over the anti-encroachment drive proving repeated fiasco. “Instead of carrying out anti-encroachment drives occasionally, the administration should arrange regular inspections or permanently deploy a watch guard at the market,” he added.
“The street vendors not only contribute to traffic congestion, but also impact our product sales. They sell products at cheaper rates which are naturally preferred by customers. I think a separate market should be set up where the street vendors would be accommodated,” said another trader Rekha Uniyal.
