Shopkeepers urged not to encroach upon roads during festival season

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 18

The Municipal Corporation has decided not to allow shopkeepers and street vendors to display their merchandise on roads during the ongoing festival season.

The civic body has taken the decision to maintain the smooth flow of traffic and to avoid congestion on busy roads.

Earlier, the tehbazari wing of the civic body used to allow shopkeepers to utilise public roads or streets in front of their shops for displaying goods against the payment of a stipulated fee.

The MC Commissioner, Kanwalpreet Kaur Brar, said with temporary encroachment on roads and streets by shopkeepers and street vendors against the slips issued by the tehbazari wing, the flow of traffic got obstructed due to heavy rush of shoppers in the main bazaars and markets. She said people had to face inconvenience.

“In the larger public interest, we have decided not to issue slips to shopkeepers and street vendors during the festival season. The practice of allowing them to encroach upon some space on a temporary basis has been discontinued for the time being,” she said.

The MC Commissioner appealed to traders, shopkeepers and street vendors not to stack merchandise or other material on roads or streets.

She also urged them to help authorities avoid traffic jams in the city, which caused inconvenience to the public.

“Strict action would be taken against the offenders,” the MC Commissioner said.