Following massive protests by locals in Behala over the death of Class II student who was killed after being hit by a goods-carrying vehicle this morning, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to write to the city police for implementing hawking rules properly near crossings in the area to handle the problems of encroachments on footpaths and roadside.
After the fatal accident in Behala this morning, local residents alleged footpaths and two sides of the roads being encroached by hawkers leaving no space for pedestrians. Illegal parking on the roadside made it all the more difficult for people to walk, alleged the local residents. Responding to the claims, the mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation agreed that in some places encroachments are being seen suddenly.
Talking about Behala, the mayor said, “At Behala Chowrasta, there is a chaotic situation in the morning. Earlier, there was an island on the road where people could stand, but after the Metro railway, that has been done away with. Definitely, vehicles are illegally being parked at some places in Chowrasta and the encroachments have added to the problem.”
The mayor pointed out that according to the existing rule, the minimum distance of hawking spaces from the crossing is 50 meters which many people are not following. “We will urge the police to see that the rules are implemented and hawking is done at least 50 meters away from the crossing,” said the mayor.