Booming trade on Rawalpindi footpaths & roadsides

A variety of roadside businesses illegally occupy most of the city’s footpaths along bazaars and roads, forcing pedestrians to brave traffic and walk on the road. Many areas still do not have footpaths, while hawkers, vendors, adjoining shops, construction materials and driveways occupy the existing ones.

“Illegal tea stalls, barbershops and fruit stalls have sprung up on footpaths and roadsides adjoining city markets. Moreover, owners of shops and salespersons park their motorcycles on the footpath, adding to our woes,” say pedestrians.

“Footpaths from Siddique Chowk to Pindora are hardly noticeable. The scenario is the same on Cantonment Hospital Road, Saddar, From Habib Bank Chowk up to Fawara Chowk in Raja Bazaar, from Wali Hayat Hospital to Asghar Mall Chowk, and on Jamia Masjid Road. Even Murree Road is no exception,” laments Ali Asghar, a student.

“The roads and streets in Commercial Market, Satellite Town and adjoining footpaths have been occupied by the shopkeepers and they keep their goods on them. Shops have been extended to occupy the verandas in front of shops,” says Nazia Batool, a buyer.

“Similar problems have been noticed in different parts of the city. Sand, bricks and other construction materials are dumped on the footpaths forcing pedestrians to walk on the road. Authorities concerned seem to have turned a blind eye to the daily sufferings of people, says Mehreen Fatima.

“We have to face a terrible traffic jam on the road almost every day. The traffic snarls occur mainly because the footpaths are occupied by traders,” says Raaziq Ali, a college student.

“City fathers must pay attention to freeing the pathways for pedestrians. It’s important to keep in mind that footpaths are community space, and while we do support business activities, we also need to protect the safety of pedestrians, and traffic flow,” says Wafa Zaidi, a banker.

An officer at a municipal body, Naveed Mehdi, says “We often clear the footpaths by conducting raids, but the occupiers come back every time. Only police can take action against such activities. If they decide to evict the illegal occupiers permanently they can do it as is often found on the arrival of VIPs.”

The hawkers at the city’s centre points, such as Raja Bazaar, have been paying a monthly to the extortionists. “We cumulatively pay millions of rupees every month as there are thousands of footpath-stalls throughout the city,” says Fayyaz Hussain, a hawker.

“The government is losing a huge amount in revenue due to lack of enforcement of rules and regulations for governing footpath businesses. We have repeatedly asked the government to introduce a legal payment system so that we do not have to pay toll to the extortionists, but no one hears, adds Fayyaz.