It was once again a stern warning to petty shop owners encroaching streets for their business to mind the while line drawn for them to not overstep and create problems for traffic. The warning was given during an anti-encroachment drive conducted on Monday by traffic police in the heart of the capital, Main Road.
“We have asked them to restrict themselves behind the line and from today, we will start taking actions against them. They often violate the law so, we will now punish them for encroaching road,” said Traffic Officer-in-Charge, Pramod Ranjan. The drive was conducted from Albert Ekka Chowk to Daily Market incidentally, the stretch where vehicles move at a snail’s pace and lead to congestion when bigger vehicles enter the area. A white line was drawn for delineating road and footpath market after repeated encroachments by street vendors in the absence of any mark.
The drive against illegal parking has also gained momentum in last few days. Traffic police in the drive conducted for two days confiscated about 30 vehicles including two and four-wheelers parked in no-parking zone and slapped penalty to discourage the practice, which is a sort of encroachment as well. “People do not listen until they taught as per the law. Our drive against illegal parking will intensify in coming days,” said Ranjan.
Significantly, anti-encroachment drive was intensified after Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar directed officials to ensure that rules are not violated on the streets and punish those who break rules. The DGP has also formed a committee of all stakeholder of the traffic system headed by DIG Ranchi Pravin Kumar to suggest ways to improve traffic system of the capital, which is facing various problems including dearth of parking spaces and narrow squares. The committee will submit its report in about a week’s time on the suggestions of widening roads, creating more parking spaces and night market for street vendors.