Officials of the State Highways Department carried out drive against encroachments on arterial roads for two days and removed encroachments.
Commercial establishments, textile showrooms and other shops had placed advertisements on roads consuming road space affecting the movement of vehicles.
Also, many establishments had erected temporary pandals outside their shops and had placed the goods.
In the absence of pathways, pedestrians were forced to walk on the roads leading to accidents. Hence, officials carried out eviction drive on Monday and Tuesday from Ellai Mariamman Temple to Bus Stand and also on Cauvery Road at Karungalpalayam, Manikoondu, Panneerselvam Park, Brough Road and Government Hospital area. Workers removed advertisement materials and temporary pandals at many shops and warned shopkeepers against encroaching on the road space.
But road users said much of the space outside the establishments were used for unauthorised parking of two-wheelers and wanted parking provisions to be established on arterial roads. They added that encroachments affect road users and pedestrians and wanted stringent action against the shopkeepers.
