Transporters and visitors to the biggest shopping centres of Raja Bazaar in the city are facing several problems as vendors and shopkeepers have placed their items on the road by setting up stalls while the authorities concerned seem the least interested in eradicating encroachments from there.
The encroachers have occupied various roads and markets at Raja Bazaar, including Liaquat Market, Bara Bazaar, Gandam Mandi (Wheat Market) and Powara Chawk, and started their business to get customers’ attention, which is hampering the smooth flow of traffic and causing inconvenience for the visitors. The visitors said the shopkeepers should realise that the encroachments were badly affecting their business.
They said the commuters continued to face severe congestion and unending traffic jams throughout the day on these roads as the anti-encroachment department had failed to ensure that the roads were encroachment-free. They demanded the anti-encroachment department to take strict action against the encroachers and remove the encroachments on priority basis.
Mujahid, a visitor to Raja Bazaar, told Pakistan Today that he couldn’t move easily in the bazaar due to the rising encroachments. “Both the sides of the road are occupied by vendors and shopkeepers leaving very little space for pedestrians and vehicles,” he complained. He asked the shopkeepers to place their items in their shops and avoid creating problems for the visitors.
Manzoor Hassan, another visitor, said the encroachments across the road were creating severe problems for the people. He said children, elders and patients could not move freely in the bazaar as the roads were occupied by encroachers. “These croachers have not only occupied the roads but also have put their rubbish on the roads, making the roads dirty,” Manzoor said. He appealed to the traders` community to help the tehsil municipal administration (TMA) in eradicating encroachments.
A van driver, Aitezaz, told Pakistan Today that the vendors and encroachers on both the sides of the roads had made it difficult for him to drive as they had left no space. He added these encroachments were also causing traffic jams as people gathered around them to buy commodities without caring for the traffic on the roads. He asked the authorities concerned to solve the problem and remove the encroachments from the roads.
Street vendors have their own complaints from the authorities. When asked, Asmat, a vendor, at Bara Bazaar, said, “Life is hell for us. Some police constables demand bribe for allowing us to continue business while their seniors occasionally remove us.” He said that he had to feed his family and if he stopped his business, it would be difficult for him to feed his family. He said he was unemployed and demanded the government provide him some job.
When contacted, an official of the TMA said they were making efforts to eradicate encroachments from the city. He added when they ejected these encroachers from the roads, they came again and resumed their business. He asked the traders and citizens to help them eradicate encroachments from the city.
