Encroachments vex Pindiites

The Fawara Chowk neighbouring the historical Moti and Sarafa bazaars and leading to several localities of the old part of the city has in effect turned out to be a new market for pull cart encroachers.

This has resulted in regular traffic jams, in particular from the intersection where vehicular traffic including wagons and suzukis and private cars turn towards the roads on both sides of the District Hospital Rawalpindi making it a likely accident spot.

The greater than ever number of vehicles on the roads is already chocking the traffic and with the encroachments, even the pedestrians shy away from the pavements. The fruit vendors and daily goods loading labourers park their carts on the pavements and roads ignoring troubles faced by the general public and creating a hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic. Initially, these vendors used to put up for sale their items on the pavements and later on, they spilled on to the roads.

The close at hand municipal authority and the traffic police have turned a blind eye to this blatant misuse of the road. Vehicles that come from the Moti Mahal towards the Fawara Chowk and the two-wheelers from the Committee Chowk face severe traffic snarls created by these carts. It is pertinent to mention here that roads leading to Raja Bazaar are a link between many areas of the new and old Rawalpindi, thus making this route significant. Fruit and vegetable vendors that have extended their business to the pavements on all the roads leading to Fawara Chowk, encroaching upon the rights of the pedestrians, also encroach upon the other road from Bara Bazaar to Habib Bank Chowk to Sabzi Mandi.

The absence of a traffic cop has added to the woes of the residents despite the fact that many representations have been forwarded to the authorities concerned. The people living in the surrounding areas even allege that huge sums of money change hands every day to grease the palm of the administration that allows the mushrooming of encroachment.

Many social activists attached with different groups criticize the municipal authority for its inefficiency in dealing with the encroachments. They allege that street vendors hold regular bazaars on the pavements and no space is left for the pedestrians. Shopkeepers display most of their items outside their shops which eat away some portion of roads, foot paths etc. but worst encroachment has been done by shopkeepers who sell construction material like sand, bricks, iron rods, ‘bajri’ etc.

The material especially sand, ‘bajri’ is seen dumped on roads while iron rods are lying outside their shops and are very dangerous for pedestrians. The city authorities must do something to stop this menace.