Vendors display goods on footpaths in Amritsar. Tribune Photos: Vishal Kumar
Amritsar, February 7
Encroachments on footpaths are a common site in the city. These encroachments pose a threat to the lives of commuters, and also lead to traffic jams. The Majitha Road sticks out like a sore thumb, as the footpaths on the road are perpetually encroached upon by illegal kiosks and vends.
More than 60 permanent kiosks from the Ghala-Mala Chowk to the Guru Gobind Singh Chowk are spelling trouble for commuters. Thanks to the indifference of the MC, a temple and a tomb have been constructed on the footpath. A gurdwara committee encroached land for parking. The pedestrians on the Majitha Road are forced to walk in the middle of the road. While walking in the middle of vehicles, pedestrians not only risk their own lives, but also hinder the flow of traffic.
The Majitha Road is witnessing a high flow of traffic.
Due to the encroachments on footpaths, the pedestrians walk on road and often meet with accidents. Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Government Medical College, ESI Hospital, Sacred Heart and other schools and Government Polytechnic for Girls located on the Majitha Road but the authorities do not care.
Gurpreet Singh, a resident said, “Almost every inch of the road has been encroached upon.”
Pedestrians in peril as no respite from encroachments
- The negligence on the part of Municipal Corporation is proving costly for city residents. A study by traffic experts has revealed that the highest number of casualties reported in road accidents are pedestrians
- The traffic advisor of Punjab government, in collaboration with an NGO, Rahgeer and Guru Ramdas School of Planning at Guru Nanak Dev University, found that due to encroachments on footpaths, pedestrians to walk on road
- During research on road casualties from 2016 to 2018, they found that pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are the top victims, hit by cars. The footpaths available alongside the roads are mostly encroached
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