Unauthorised mobile bunk shops that were functioning at Vyttila and Sahodaran Ayyappan road were removed by civic authorities on Wednesday.
The drive was part of the crackdown against illegal shops operating in the city, said an official of the Town Planning Department of the Kochi Corporation.
On Wednesday, 12 bunk shops were removed. Food sold through these shops was also seized. Recently, unauthorised shops were removed from the premises of Ernakulam South railway station and Rajaji road.
Town Planning Department officials would take action against bunk shops in other parts of the city in the coming days, the official said. Earlier, corporation officials had removed a large number of illegal display boards and carts as part of the drive. The Steering Committee of the corporation had reached a consensus on taking action against the illegal units. Following the removal of the shops, the civic body has decided not to bow to demands for returning the confiscated units. The Steering Committee had advised the civic administrators against returning the units to prevent them from restarting business.
A large number of bunk shops function mainly on sidewalks causing traffic jams at busy junctions like Vyttila. Incidentally, the corporation had sanctioned only 144 bunk shops in the city. Recently, the civic body issued permits for 52 street food units to be operated in the city under a programme supported by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The drive against illegal units would be strengthened after the campaign is reviewed at a meeting on Monday, the official said.
