Hawkers gone, now focus on parking policy: Kalyan residents to KDMC

After hawkers were removed from Kalyan market road, commuters have demanded a parking policy to decongest the road.

After hawkers were removed from Kalyan market road, commuters have demanded a parking policy to decongest the road.

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On October 31, Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) commissioner Govind Bodke, civic staff and traffic police evicted all hawkers and vendors from the stretch.

The market road from Shivaji Chowk to Mohammad Ali Chowk in Kalyan (West) is now less cluttered.

A team of civic officials has been deployed to act against hawkers.

Although removing hawkers has eased congestion on this stretch, vehicles parked on both sides of the road is another reason for congestion. At times, vehicles are parked haphazardly outside the parking line drawn on the sides of the road complains the commuters.

“It is high time parking policy was implemented. There is a need to act against violators,” said Manik Patel, 45, a commuter who uses the stretch to reach Shivaji Chowk for work every day.

The Kalyan (West) traffic police which is also working on implementing parking rules on the busy roads, claimed that it will soon take permission on implementing P1P2 parking on the 300-metre-long market road.

“Parking is another issue. I will send a letter to the traffic police, seeking permission to impose P1P2 parking on the stretch like we did on Paar naka stretch. Similarly, we also have plans to implement P1P2 parking on all roads that connects to Kalyan station to ease congestion,” said Sukhdev Patil, senior police inspector, Kalyan (West) traffic unit.

“We will do this work step by step. We will check if it is easing congestion. If there is a remarkable change, then it will be practised,” he added.

Last month, the traffic police decongested Shivaji Chowk to Paar Naka stretch by imposing P1P2 system.

In P1P2 system, vehicles can be parked on only one side of the road depending on the day. It follows an odd and even pattern. For instance, on 2nd of a month, vehicles are parked on the right side, on 3rd, vehicles will be parked on the left side.

The market road in Kalyan (West) has hundreds of hawkers and vendors occupying half of the roads, its footpaths completely making it difficult for one to walk or ride.

The civic body first time took special massive drive against the hawkers after incidents of scuffle in Kalyan and Dombivli .

Although talks of a parking policy have been on for the past three years, there is no rule imposed in Kalyan and Dombivli.

“A parking policy is a must in the city considering the number of vehicles. People end up in fights because of lack of parking space. Ultimately, commuters have to suffer while driving on roads,” said Anil Shinde, 45, a commuter.