KARACHI, March 23: Encroachers have grabbed almost entire space meant for pedestrians along the New M. A. Jinnah Road. Most of the encroachers appeared to be car dealers
who have been using footpaths on both sides of the road for parking their vehicles outside their showrooms leaving no space for pedestrians. Resultantly, people are forced to walk on road, obviously risking their lives.
Not only footpaths, the car dealers have also been parking their vehicles along a considerably wide strip of the main road, from Islamia College to Jail Chowrangi.
By resorting to this unfair, unlawful and unjustifiable practice, the traders have been depriving people of their right to use footpaths, on the one hand, and also causing immense trouble to commuters, on the other.
The car dealers have not spared even the side streets of the mainly residential area which remains congested with parked vehicles meant for sale or repair. The side streets are supposed to remain wide open for an easy access to any residential unit.
This is all the more necessary to avoid any trouble in the face of an emergency that could happen any time. It may be witnessed that the parked vehicles usually leave a little space all along the side streets for people to pass through. Being a residential area, most of the common users of these streets are women and children who have to move quite frequently in the area.
Residents and visitors are facing immense hardship due to this permanent hazard along the footpaths and roads. It is a common sight that schoolchildren, women and elderly people have to walk on busy roads at their own risk while those responsible for the occupation of roads and streets would not bother to ensure their safety by removing at least some vehicles from the footpaths and roads around their showrooms.
A number of people have either fallen victim to speedy vehicles or escaped an accident due to the situation. It may be recalled that much of the encroachment along the New M. A. Jinnah Road had been removed by the Jamshed Town administration in a recent operation involving police and Rangers.
The car dealers were asked not to revert to their old practice of parking vehicles on footpaths, roads and streets. However, they did not comply with the orders as the same situation now prevails in the entire area.
The concerned departments are helpless in taking a legal action against the encroachers as vested interests are involved in foiling their attempts to ensure a clean and clear way for pedestrians and commuters, according to sources in the local government.
An official of the city government revealed that the action against encroachers was being avoided because of the pressure from 'high-ups' who had been creating hurdles in carrying out an effective campaign against the car dealers and other encroachers.
"There are certain influential elements resisting the CDGK move to clear the footpaths of the vehicles," he said. The Jamshed Town Municipal Officer, Asghar Wagan, expressed his unawareness about such an occupation of footpath, when he was contacted.
"I have recently taken the charge and have not knowledge of such a situation," he said, but held out the assurance that an action would be take soon if such a situation did exist in any part of the town. - PPI
