Clear encroachments or face FIR, traffic police warn shopkeepers

The Ludhiana traffic police are set to take strict measures to tackle the issue of traffic hurdles being caused due to encroachments by shopkeepers and roadside vendors. Initially, the police would hold awareness meetings. After serving three notices, if encroachments are not removed, FIRs would be registered for non-compliance.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Parminder Singh Bhandal, ADCP (Traffic) Gurpreet Purewal, ACPs (Traffic) Jatin Bansal and Gurpreet Singh addressed a press conference in this regard on Wednesday.

Bhandal said the issue of traffic problems at some markets and on roads were quite serious and the cause of traffic bottlenecks were shopkeepers who resort to encroachments by extending their shops on the roads and some vendors also encroach upon roads which affects the line of traffic.

“Earlier, the traffic police had only 200 police personnel working in the field but now our strength has been increased to 500. From Thursday onwards, ACPs, Inspectors and even SHOs will start holding meetings with shopkeepers in different markets. During the first meeting, shopkeepers will be told to remove encroachments and then action will follow, he said.

“The traffic police will serve first notice to shopkeepers for removing encroachments. If shopkeepers will not remove the same, the second notice will be served and then the final notice will be served, which will be followed by FIR against them. We have no intention to harass any shopkeeper but non-compliance will not be tolerated,” the DCP said.

The traffic police would not take abrupt action against roadside vendors and rehriwalas, as the police would not hit their employment.

“We will ask such vendors to place their makeshift vends on roads in such a way that traffic should not be affected. The police are also in touch with the Municipal Corporation to find a suitable place for makeshift vends to keep roads free of traffic,” the DCP said.

Notably, a few years ago, the Ludhiana police became successful in removing encroachments from city roads and residents had then enjoyed smooth rides without any bottlenecks.

Ludhiana