Unauthorised street vendors to be evicted in Mangaluru

Mayor Diwakar and Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Akshy Sridhar said that the MCC will relaunch the drive to evict street vendors, who had encroached footpaths and roads, within two days.

Special squads, with officials drawn from health department and police, will be
set up to launch the drive against unauthorised street vendors obstructing the movement of vehicles and pedestrians in Mangaluru and Surathkal.

“The teams will conduct the drive at regular intervals,” the Mayor and Commissioner said during a special meeting convened to discuss traffic woes.

Corporators alleged that the vendors by encroaching footpaths were causing a lot inconveniences to pedestrians.

The Commissioner said that a joint survey will be taken up to identify parking and no parking zones in the city limits.

There are 56 non parking zones in the city. An advisory committee was constituted to scientifically study these zones and submit a report. Based on the report, a final notification will be issued. The works of installing sign boards and laying humps were taken up after conducting a joint survey involving officials from the MCC and the police, he added.

The MCC will consult experts from NITK to decide on long term plans to check the traffic woes, the Mayor assured.

When corporators raised the issue of vehicles parked beside the roads, DCP Vinay Gaonkar said that seized vehicles can be disposed of only after a court order.

Police had written to deputy commissioner on disposing the abandoned vehicles left on roads after getting them verified through RTO. The number of two-wheelers and four-wheelers had increased after the lockdown, thus leading to traffic congestion, he added.

Corporators charged that city buses were curtailing services to Faisalnagara, Bajal, Veeranagara, Maroli, Kodikal, Mugrodi and other interior areas causing problems to passengers.

Without proper bus facilities, people are forced to shell out money by travelling in autorickshaws.

Corporators also demanded the removal of unscientific humps in different wards. The towing of vehicles should be stopped until the works initiated under different projects were completed in the city. Mayor responded and announced that vehicles will not be towed away in areas where smart city works are underway.