‘Remove encroachments outside business centres’

LAHORE

Encroachments outside business centres are increasing negatively affecting the economic activities along with civic life and to control the situation there is a need of effective strategy for traffic system, and implementation of regulations for construction of commercial markets and plazas. 

These views were expressed by the experts in Jang Economic Session on ‘Encroachments, traffic management and economic activities’. The panellists were CTO Rai Ijaz Ahmed, Sardar Naseer Ahmed, Aneela Saleem, Ashraf Bhatti, Sheikh Arshad, Raja Hamid Riaz and Arshad Khan while hosted by Sikandar Lodhi. 

Rai Ijaz Ahmed said encroachments around business centres are causing change in trend from small bazaars besides affecting economic activities and civic life. He said city policy, corporation and public should discourage establishment of stalls outside the shops, and vendors on footpath. He said traders should return the encroached places in market to government which will also be helpful in maintaining law and order. He called for reforms in establishment of business centres and discouraging business centre establishment in residential areas, besides establishment of a separate force and police station on anti-encroachment. 

Sardar Naseer Ahmed said people are also equally responsible for encroachments along with city police, corporation as stalls outside the shops were established by shop owners who get monthly rent. He believed that encroachments could not be possible without backing of influential. He said anti-encroachment drive could be successful through effective mechanism with the support of the traders. 

Aneela Saleem said the vendors business is a parallel economy so this should not be closed down rather to streamline and give legal protection to them. She suggested a designated place to roadside vendors and strict implementation of the limit assigned to them. She said public itself was responsible for traffic jams while required traffic wardens on busy roads were not appointed which cause traffic jam in case of small accident or protest. Families cannot go to parks due to improper parking facilities, she observed. 

Ashraf Bhatti said that Anarkali was a well-planned bazaar before partition but due to traffic and parking issues public interest in it has declined. He said if only three traffic wardens deputed at entrance of this bazaar traffic issues will be resolved while traders are responsible for encroachments and should create awareness among them.  

Sheikh Arshad said parking is the biggest issue for all business centres of the city which is aggravating the traffic issues. He said promises and claims of the government failed to provide relief to traders. He called for improving the performance of traffic wardens. 

Raja Hamid Riaz said traffic jam on Mall Road due to any reason affects the whole city traffic which hampers both civic and economic activities. He suggested that Mall Road be declared red zone with strict implementation.

He believed that encroachment is the biggest issue on Mall Road which is cause of traffic jams. He called for permanent solution for the critical issue. 

Arshad Khan said popularity of Anarkali Bazaar is on the decline due to traffic and encroachment issues.

He said both shopper and owner feel uncomfortable to come to this bazaar which is affecting the business activities. He suggested recruitment of constables in traffic police instead of wardens to improve the performance.