Hyderabad: After conducting awareness campaigns and warning footpath encroachers the traffic police will resume chargsheeting third-time offenders and sending them to jail. Traffic police had booked footpath encroachers last year and sent them to jail but the drive was stopped amid opposition from hawkers associations and the business community.
The traffic police has resumed the crackdown after complaints of roads being blocked due to encroachments. Special drives are being held near Secunderabad Railway Station, West Marredpally, SR Nagar, Ameerpet, Maitrivanam, Jagdeesh Market, Chirag Ali lane and Taj Mahal Hotel Road with the help of the GHMC town planning wing. Mr Anil Kumar, additional traffic commissioner, Hyderabad, said, “Encroachments are causing problems to pedestrians, forcing them to walk on the roads. This is resulting in traffic congestion and increases the danger of accidents. The traffic police will take stern action which may include filing chargesheets and sending the encroaches to jail.”
Police says that the vendors and push cart owners do not listen to them. West Marredpally traffic inspector K. Chandrashekhar said, “We are booking 60 to 65 cases against hawkers on the main roads every month. If they return, we are removing them on a daily basis in West Marredpally. If the residents complain about encroachments, we are immediately taking action.”
The police takes recourse to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act which has more stringent punishments, but this covers permanent establishments.
SR Nagar traffic inspector V.V.S. Ramalinga Raju said, “For the first offence they have to pay the GHMC Rs 3,000. The second time, the traffic police imposes a fine of Rs 5,000. Third-time offenders are produced in court and they have to pay fines and undergo punishment.” Abids traffic police station house officer M. Suman Kumar said, “As they continue to encroach on footpaths, we have started conducting special drives. Third time offenders will be jailed.”
