Vendors encroaching on footpaths to be evicted

Encroachers given three days time to vacate

District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareed has said that roadside vendors encroaching on footpaths will be evicted.

Encroachers will be given three days time to vacate on their own failing which they will be evicted jointly by the police, Corporation, and the public works department.

The decision came at a meeting of the Road Safety Committee held in the Collector's chamber on Thursday. It was also decided to mount cameras at the Palarivattom Junction and four important points on the highway as part of ensuring road safety. Steps will be taken to install sensor-driven assessment camera at Vyttila on an experimental basis.

Stringent action is being considered in serious traffic rule offences. At present, the traffic rule violators are able to get away with simple fines.

Kochi Corporation will be asked to tar the dilapidated road in front of the St. Teresa's College. Similarly, the civic body will be instructed to clean the drains and remove the resultant silt and garbage at the earliest.

A recommendation will be given to shift the operation of a Kerala State Beverages Corporation shop near the exit point of the Vyttila Mobility Hub to another appropriate place.

Authorities concerned will be instructed to expand road markings to all major roads. The public works department, Corporation, and the national highway authorities will be asked to complete the road markings with the assistance of police. A proposal for the formation of a police enforcement team for implementation of lane traffic was being considered. The Collector said that traffic cones should be more widely used for effective control of vehicular traffic. Police and Road Transport Authorities should take strict action to stop unhealthy competition amongst private buses. To facilitate this, more speed tracer cameras will be employed at major junctions.

Public Works Department authorities said that construction of median, as directed by the last meeting of the committee, had been started and will be completed shortly. The meeting also decided to ask the KSEB to speed up the work being undertaken on Banerjee Road.

The Collector said that a more comprehensive meeting will be convened for the review of the progress of the proposals and to take follow-up actions.