Encroachments return in some areas
Shopkeepers and push-cart vendors have started returning to some recently cleared roads.
LAHORE:
Shopkeepers and push-cart vendors have started returning to some of the roads recently cleared of encroachments by the City District Government of Lahore in its ongoing drive.
Talking to The Express Tribune, town administration officials said they were pressing on with the drive.
After seven days of the CDGL crack down on encroachments, the main roads in busy areas of Data Gunj Bakhsh Town, including Urdu Bazaar, Anarkali and Nila Gumbad, present a much better picture. However, some shopkeepers in these areas have again started placing display counters in front of their shops.
Sajid Ali, who owns a stationery shop in Urdu Bazaar, said the town administration had demolished the raised platform in front of his shop. He said he had now placed a counter to display items to attract customers. “My shop is very small. I can’t display the items properly inside the shop,” he said. He added that if he relied on customers to walk inside the shop on their own he would not be able to make half of what he did with the counter is placed outside.
Ijaz Haider, a garments shop owner, said the customers decided to enter a shop only after they liked the clothes displayed on the counters. “Competition is getting tougher everyday. It (counter) may be an encroachment but I risk losing most of the sales if I don’t place one in front of the shop,” he said.
Haider, however, said he would be careful with the counter for a few more days because the operation was still underway and inspectors from the town administration were visiting the area regularly.
Venders on push-carts and donkey carts too have returned to footpaths and service lanes along Ferozepur Road, Model Town Link Road, Shaukat Ali Road and Allama Iqbal Road.
Ghulam Abbas, who sells fruits on a donkey cart at Allama Iqbal Town’s Moon Market, said town administration had set aside a plot for them to set up stalls but he had decided to return to the roadside because he would have better sales there.
He said some other vendors who had ventured back to the roadside had been deprived of their donkey carts but, he added, he had to take the risk to boost his earnings. “I have a family to feed,” he said.
Nishtar Town Municipal Officer Ali Abbas Bukhari told The Express Tribune that his team was regularly raiding markets and main roads recently cleared of encroachments. He said there was a complete ban on parking carts along roadsides. “They’ve been allowed to use Ferozepur Road’s service lanes for movement,” he said. He added that they had brought the number of carts parked on roadsides from hundreds to a few dozen.
Bukhari said he had on Tuesday registered an FIR against a shopkeeper who had again encroached upon the road in front of his shop. This, he hoped, would force others to decide against taking such a step.
Gulburg Town Officer (Regulation) Faisal Shehzad said that he was doing the best he could with a team of 12 people. He said it was not easy to take up follow up raids at a short notice.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2011.
Shopkeepers and push-cart vendors have started returning to some of the roads recently cleared of encroachments by the City District Government of Lahore in its ongoing drive.
Talking to The Express Tribune, town administration officials said they were pressing on with the drive.
After seven days of the CDGL crack down on encroachments, the main roads in busy areas of Data Gunj Bakhsh Town, including Urdu Bazaar, Anarkali and Nila Gumbad, present a much better picture. However, some shopkeepers in these areas have again started placing display counters in front of their shops.
Sajid Ali, who owns a stationery shop in Urdu Bazaar, said the town administration had demolished the raised platform in front of his shop. He said he had now placed a counter to display items to attract customers. “My shop is very small. I can’t display the items properly inside the shop,” he said. He added that if he relied on customers to walk inside the shop on their own he would not be able to make half of what he did with the counter is placed outside.
Ijaz Haider, a garments shop owner, said the customers decided to enter a shop only after they liked the clothes displayed on the counters. “Competition is getting tougher everyday. It (counter) may be an encroachment but I risk losing most of the sales if I don’t place one in front of the shop,” he said.
Haider, however, said he would be careful with the counter for a few more days because the operation was still underway and inspectors from the town administration were visiting the area regularly.
Venders on push-carts and donkey carts too have returned to footpaths and service lanes along Ferozepur Road, Model Town Link Road, Shaukat Ali Road and Allama Iqbal Road.
Ghulam Abbas, who sells fruits on a donkey cart at Allama Iqbal Town’s Moon Market, said town administration had set aside a plot for them to set up stalls but he had decided to return to the roadside because he would have better sales there.
He said some other vendors who had ventured back to the roadside had been deprived of their donkey carts but, he added, he had to take the risk to boost his earnings. “I have a family to feed,” he said.
Nishtar Town Municipal Officer Ali Abbas Bukhari told The Express Tribune that his team was regularly raiding markets and main roads recently cleared of encroachments. He said there was a complete ban on parking carts along roadsides. “They’ve been allowed to use Ferozepur Road’s service lanes for movement,” he said. He added that they had brought the number of carts parked on roadsides from hundreds to a few dozen.
Bukhari said he had on Tuesday registered an FIR against a shopkeeper who had again encroached upon the road in front of his shop. This, he hoped, would force others to decide against taking such a step.
Gulburg Town Officer (Regulation) Faisal Shehzad said that he was doing the best he could with a team of 12 people. He said it was not easy to take up follow up raids at a short notice.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2011.