The experiment of Traffic police and Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to ease traffic flow at the busy MG Marg seem to have again failed miserably. The Traffic police and Municipal Corporation had put barricades along the pathways at Main Road for smooth vehicular movement on September 5.
The barricading was done from Sarjana Chowk to Shaheed Chowk, in view of the encroachment and presence of street vendors during the busy hours that impacts traffic adversely. Ironically, the very next day itself the traffic condition is back to square one. None of the street vendors, even after receiving strict instructions from the Civic Body personnel including Ranchi Traffic Police officials have shifted their shops.
When asked about the plan that will be undertaken further to tackle the traffic bewilderment at MG Road after the failure of barricading arrangement, RMC Officer (PR) Naresh Sinha said, “We are sending the enforcement cell members to take on the defaulters.
Penalty will be imposed on those vendors who have decked up their shops at roadside. Within few days, we will be successful in our attempts. Instantly, nothing can be changed here especially when it comes to manage traffic at one of the busiest roads.”
DSP (Traffic -1), Dilip Xalxo said that constant efforts is being made to relocate the street vendors from Main Road for easing down congestion and for pedestrians convenience. “The traffic police personnel are vigilant and have also cleared a long stretch from Sarjana Chowk to Shaheed Chowk but often in the evening few vendors put up their stalls. Soon extra force will be deputed to check this mismanagement. The RMC has the responsibility of monitoring the street vendors’ activities, imposing fine through enforcement cell officers.”
Notably, even after the decision of Jharkhand High Court (HC) in April 2016 to shift all the hawkers along the busy avenues of MG Marg at the six designated places around the peripherals of Main Road neither the Civic Body nor the Traffic Police personnel have been successful in their attempts to fix this major glitch.
Places like Jaipal Singh Stadium and Zila School ground, prominently demarcated considering the business prospect of street vendors even after HC recommendation remain deserted as no serious attempts has been made ever to shift them after ensuring proper facilities at these destinations.