Traffic police to crack whip on encroachments in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, January 30

With shopkeepers continuing to encroach upon roads by extending their shops despite anti-encroachment drives by the police and the civic body authorities, the traffic police have decided to deal with the problem with an iron hand.

They have decided to lodge FIRs against those shopkeepers who keep encroaching on roads and do not mend their ways despite repeated requests and warnings.

“Encroachers are back to the spot soon after the police and MC officials leave the area. We have been facing the problem since the launch of our anti-encroachment drive over a month ago,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amandeep Kaur.

“I have spoken to my senior officials, including Police Commissioner Jaskaran Singh and Deputy Commissioner of Police Parminder Singh Bhandal in this connection and we would soon be going to do this in order to make the city roads free from encroachments,” she said.

Following the registration of cases, the property of the shopkeepers displayed on the road would be confiscated.

Owing to the closure of Rego bridge to heavy vehicles and construction of the railway flyover at 22 number railway crossing that connect the main GT Road with the Islamabad and walled city area, the volume of traffic from the Amritsar railway station to Chheharta has increased leading to traffic jams, especially at Putlighar and near the railway station areas. The problem is likely to aggravate when the Vallah road would be closed owing to construction of a flyover there. Lack of traffic and parking sense among residents also compound the problem.

Besides lodging FIRs against the offenders, the police were also contemplating closing the entry of heavy vehicles inside the city during the daytime. “We will limit the timings of entry of heavy vehicles,” said the ADCP.

Public cooperation is a must to deal with the rising problem of traffic bottlenecks in the city. And ironically, they do not understand it.

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