- Advertisement -
RAWALPINDI, Jan 10 (APP):Continued encroachment and moving hawkers have created a mess in the main bazaars of cantonment areas resulting in traffic congestion and mental torture among residents. The Rawalpindi Cantonement Board (RCB) has planned a massive operation against the encroachers.
In a brief interaction with APP here on Friday, Additional CEO RCB, Haider Shuja informed that the anti- encroachment operation was among regular activities of the board which entails surprised raids by the concerned departments.
“However, a comprehensive plan has been chalked out to redress the issue causing congestion in different areas”, he said.
The areas including Tench Bhatta bazaar, Lal Kurti, People’s Colony, Kamalabad and Mughalabad are facing severe issues which need better crowd management by the authorities.
Residents shared their issues urging that RCB’s encroachment personnel should visit the main market areas randomly.
“They (anti encroachment personnel) visit and leave the bazaar with a swift move with marginal actions against the encouragement”, said Khalid Saeed a resident of Tench Bhatta. He said that anti encroachment raids would produce results with continuous follow up strategy.
On the other hand, despite RCB’s all out efforts, multifaceted encroachment by the marketers, shopkeepers and hawkers remain the biggest hurdles in the flow of traffic as well as problematic for the residents.
“The business community itself promotes the encroachment and allows moveable stalls and hawkers to sell their products in front of shops”, said Tariq Mahmood who resides in Kamalabad. He blames the shopkeepers for taking money from moving vendors for placing their carts in front of their shops on the main roads.
The residents also demand RCB for actions against the concrete encroachment built by the shopkeepers and hotels etc. causing a mess for pedestrians.
Misbah Tahir criticised the the vendors saying, “they continuously move on main roads and stop wherever they want, resulting in traffic jams and they are also rude in response if someone asks them to keep a side”. She noted that mismanagemed Rickshaws are also among the problem creators.
“They are present with infinite numbers, no one takes notice of randomly moving rickshaws, nor they have any rickshaw stop in the cantt areas”, she said and added that traffic wardens are also not seen in these areas.
The cantt board however, is taking some concrete measures to redress these issues being faced by the people. When asked about how the anti-encroachment operation will be accelerated under the given resources, the Adl Chief RCB said that a team has also been formulated to carefully put an eye on the anti-encroachment teams so that reslutful action could be taken.
“We will also enhance the collaboration with allied departments like traffic police to improve the peaceful shipping environment in bazaars”, he said.