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Patiala: Car dealers get ultimatum to remove encroachments
The Patiala municipal corporation has tightened its nooses on car dealers, who have encroached public roads and converted them to private parking spaces.
The Patiala municipal corporation has tightened its nooses on car dealers, who have encroached public roads and converted them to private parking spaces.
The residents are struggling due to shortage of parking space, especially at the Choti Baradari market, which has a number of educational institutions and branches of some leading banks which keep the footfall in the area high.
The entire parking complex has been encroached upon with the car dealers, who have illegally parked their cars outside their shops. Vehicles can also be spotted parked on either sides of the road. These vehicles belong to car dealers. The current scenario forces pedestrians to walk on the busy roads with two- and four-wheelers speeding past them.
The market remains jam packed throughout the day and during peak hours it leads to chaotic traffic conditions.
Patiala mayor Sanjeev Sharma Bittu said that the municipal corporation has already held multiple meetings with the car dealers in this regard, but they have failed to pay heed to the repeated appeals of the civic body to clear parking space and footpaths.
“We have now given them an ultimatum to clear the roads if they want to avoid serious action. We have roped in traffic police to take strict action against them and challan all incorrectly parked vehicles,” he said.
He added that in 2013, the Punjab and Haryana high court had issued orders to clear the illegal parking areas, but nothing has been done till date.
“We have briefed the car dealers that if they fail to clear the area, a ₹20,000 fine per car will be imposed on them,” he said.
Balwinder Singh, a local resident, said,“Parking is a major problem at Chhoti Baradari market as the car dealers have occupied all the parking spaces meant for customers. Each shop is allotted a specific parking space for four private vehicles, but each dealer has at least 20 to 25 vehicles parked here.”
He added that the MC’s action is a welcome step. “The municipal corporation has finally come out of its deep slumber and is taking action against the dealers,” he said.
Pawan Kumar, a shopkeeper, said that he visits the market everyday to deposit the previous day’s earnings at a private bank, and always struggles to find a parking spot as most spaces remain occupied by vehicles of the dealers.
“The car market should be shifted to a different place where there is sufficient space available and the authorities should take serious action on the issue,” he said.
