Safety hazard: Illegal fruit market a nuisance for pedestrians

Instead of pavements people are forced to walk on roads

PESHAWAR: An illegal fruit market has sprung up under the still incomplete Mufti Mahmood Flyover near Bacha Khan Chowk, disrupting the flow of traffic and causing a nuisance for pedestrians. 

Locals said a number of vendors have stationed their pushcarts in the area right under the noses of the authorities, who remain silent over the issue. Waseem Khan, who was passing through the area, said the vendors disrupted the flow of traffic and were causing inconvenience for pedestrians. A group of students echoed his sentiments, saying the encroachments forced people to walk on the roads instead of the pavement.



“The shopkeepers are charging vendors large amounts of rent to allow them to station their pushcarts in front of their shops,” one of them claimed.

Gul Zaman, another passer-by, said the stalls selling fruits and vegetables left no room for pedestrians, adding that illegal parking by traders and visitors to the chowk contributed to the chaotic traffic situation.

Time and again, citizens have asked the government to take action against the encroachments, but their appeals seem to fall on deaf ears.

District administrator Rashid Ahmad Khan told The Express Tribune that the municipal administration, along with the traffic police, would take strict action against encroachments and illegal parking to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. He added the department also registered cases against violators during a recent crackdown against encroachments.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2014.