Encroachments lead to traffic snarls on Ferozepur road

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 25

With the civic body turning a blind eye towards temporary encroachments raised by shopkeepers and wrong parking, commuters are a harried lot, as they get stuck in traffic snarls near Aggar Nagar on the Ferozepur Road. Residents want the civic body authorities to pay immediate attention towards this problem.

As the work of elevated road from Samrala Chowk to Octroi Post on the Ferozepur Road is under way, a central portion of the road has been barricaded at different places, including near Aggar Nagar.

It is learnt that some shopkeepers at Aggar Nagar market allow food carts and eateries outside their shops, due to which traffic jams are witnessed in the evening at Ferozepur Road.

A resident of Aggar Nagar said, “Several shopkeepers have encroached upon service lane area to set up their eateries. Some shopkeepers also allow vendors to station their carts to sell snacks. The major concern is that people also park their vehicles on the Ferozepur Road and service lane to have snacks at these eateries. The authorities concerned should take necessary measures to curb such violations.”

A road safety activist, Rahul Verma, said, the civic body must remove encroachments to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. “Some shopkeepers are earning a huge amount of money by renting encroached government land outside their shops. These encroachments have become a major problem after elevated road construction work began. The MC should take necessary action to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.”

Traffic jams are already being witnessed on other major roads including Gill Road, Link Road, Pahwa Hospital Road among other routes after closure of Gill Chowk flyover due to collapsed portion of its retaining wall. Joint Commissioner Kulpreet Singh was not available for comment.