Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 9: Drenched in rain and standing for almost 7 hours on road, the Inspector General of Police Traffic, Basant Rath, today got encroachments of roads removed in parts of city and directed the transporters that no woman should be seen standing in the buses.
The IG accompanied by the SP Traffic, Muzaffar Ahmad Shah, and other officers and officials from Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) got the encroachments of roads by shopkeepers and vendors removed.
People at all these places were seen following him and taking pictures and videos. They hailed his efforts for taking such a step which no one has taken for last three decades which had resulted in traffic mess in Srinagar city.
Rath started this morning from Hari Singh High Street which despite having wider roads is most congested area of the city. Several vehicles were seized for wrong parking and the SMC seized the merchandise of the street vendors and shopkeepers. These shopkeepers and vendors were asked recently by the IG to remove the encroachments on their own but it had fallen to their deaf ears.
This was followed by similar kind of operations in Amira Kadal, Ganta Ghar, Regal Chowk, Polo view, MA Road, Dalgate, Durga Nag, Qamarwari, Barthana, Cement Bridge and Parimpora Bus Stand.
At all these places the encroachments by the shopkeepers and vendors were removed. At Residency road, the trolleys and refrigerator of a prominent store were seized and at MA road vehicles of a prominent bakery shop and its customers were seized as they were blocking the movement of traffic.
At Chest Diseases hospital, the fruit vendors who had occupied part of road for few decades were asked to vacate it. As they paid no heed, their merchandise was seized by the SMC.
At Parimpora Bus Stand, SKIMS and SMHS, the authorities were asked to redesign the intersection for smooth flow of traffic.
In the evening when some vendors had again encroached the road at Jahangir Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Amira Kadal, Palladium, Ganta Ghar and Polo View, the IG Traffic along with his team got them removed.
In the afternoon during the meeting with the transporters and other departments at Divisional Commissioner’s office, Rath directed the transporters that after one week the drivers of the public transport and its conductors should be properly uniformed. He asked them that the vehicle should halt at designated bus stops only otherwise they have to pay huge fine.
He made it clear to them that no woman should be seen standing in buses and it is the responsibility of the transporters to ensure it. He told them that the students travelling in public transport should be given accession. They were also told that buses should cover the distances in specific time so that the commuters reach their destination on time.
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