Where to walk, ask Trivandrum pedestrians
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pedestrians in the city are finding it hard to walk on footpaths due to encroachments and makeshift tents set up by traders. To take action against this, the corporation held a special council meeting on Wednesday. The previous council had conducted a special drive and identified 300 encroachments. The drive was part of an audit by the town planning wing to make the footpaths safer and free of encroachments. However, they didn’t take any action to remove them.
Two years back, the Federation of Residents’ Association Nemom Sector staged a protest in front of the Nemom zonal office of the corporation against the encroachments on the footpath the Karamana-Pravachambalam stretch. The residents complained that they were forced to walk on the roads due to the encroachments. Many minor accidents were also reported in the area.
Such encroachments have also come up in other locations such as Fort, Chalai, Kazhakoottam and Peroorkada. Even after repeated complaints, the authorities have not taken any steps to remove these illegal shops jutting out on the footpath areas, said many residents. As per another report by the corporation, hundreds of encroachments were identified at Chalai, Fort, Attukal and Manacaud.
Fort ward councillor Janaki Ammal S says, “The aesthetics of the city is also lost due to the makeshift tents selling clothes and other products on footpaths. Hence, the corporation should set up special vending zones. Over the days, many illegal shops have mushroomed in different parts of the city. The heritage area at Fort has become a spot for street food vendors to do business at night. Traffic movement is also affected due to the encroachments on footpaths.”
“Though we had taken up the issue with the officials, no action has been taken to remove the illegal shops till now,” she added. A health official with the city corporation said, “Discussions are being held based on which a decision will be taken regarding the issue of illegal footpath encroachment.”
It has been five years since the much-hyped Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, came into force. As part of the law, the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL) is constructing the first-ever street vending zone at RKV lane near the Museum police station. “The works of the smart vending zones are nearing completion and will soon be opened to street vendors,” said a corporation official.