BENGALURU: Footpaths along the road outside the City Civil Courts complex have been cleared, following the Bengaluru Express report.
The report had highlighted the inconvenience caused to pedestrians from haphazard parking and roadside stalls that swallowed up the footpaths.
However, today, only the vendors were evicted but the vehicles were still parked along the No-parking stretches. In fact, this reporter caught a police vehicle parked near the sign.
Vendors are angry that only they have been penalised. The push carts had been turned upside down and the owners say that the police are responsible. “I have just enrolled my children to school this year, this was my only earning,” said Mani, crying. She has been running a vegetable cart for the past 14 years here. “Police forced me out today morning.”
Another fruit seller has not eaten anything all day. “I am utterly disappointed with the situation. This is my only source of income.”
Lawyers who have their offices in the complex backed the vendors’ demand to be allowed to continue their business. “I save time buying groceries here,” said Prasanna Kumar P, a lawyer.
Few who had gathered to show their support said that they will get a special court order to help the vendors.
Ramkumar Swamy H V, a lawyer, said that illegal parking will not be an issue for long since smart cards for parking are being issued to the lawyers. “All the traffic-related problems will be sorted out in a month,” he said.
But traffic cops are glad that the footpaths have been cleared. Traffic violations cross 300 a day on this road. They added that once the road gets a median, it will be easier to prevent illegal parking.