Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru Nov 1: State Bank is one of the prime locations in Mangaluru with several street vendors running their business. However, the illegal encroachment has put the pedestrians to worry, who are forced to step on streets amidst heavy traffic.
On Sundays, street vendors from other districts come to State Bank and put up stalls of selling old clothes at low prices and also other items. These street vendors have acquired the entire footpath attached to Town Hall, opposite Lady Goschen hospital.
This stretch at Town Hall is also meant for parking. By putting these cloth stalls, the vendors encroach footpaths as well as parking places which can accommodate large number of vehicles. This has led to pedestrians being denied access to use the footpath.
MCC had given tender to a company to charge and maintain parking places near Town Hall. On Sundays, instead of providing parking for vehicles, vendors acquire these footpaths by paying Rs 150 to Rs 300 per day.
Usually, Sundays do have the highest footfall near State Bank. If these street vendors acquire these parking places, people who come for shopping or outing need to search for parking places in and around Town Hall.
The nuisance does not end here. There are many who approach these street vendors to buy items, and they stop their vehicles on the road which leads to traffic congestion.
Street vending zone still vacant
On the other hand, the zone meant for street vendors which was opened nearly one and half years back still remains empty. Instead of acquiring footpaths and parking places, the vendors can easily do business in the zone meant for them.
When asked to comment on the issue, Mayor Bhaskar Moily said that the street vendors do not have permission to run the business on the footpath and he is not aware of money being collected from those street vendors.
When daijiworld spoke with money collector for parking near town hall, he said," MCC has given the tender so we are collecting money for parking. I am collecting the money on one side and other side of the Town Hall opposite Lady Goschen hospital, one more person is collecting the money. I am not taking any money from the street vendors of for Sunday Bazaar,”
But when daijiworld spoke with a street vendor, who is from Mysuru, he said, “We run this business every Sunday from morning to evening. This place is reserved for parking, but we pay Rs 150 to Rs 300 to those who collect money for parking places and Rs 20 to MCC cleaners.”
As per the tender, the company is not supposed to take any money from the street vendors and allow them to run their business in the parking places. Even the street vendors need to take permission from MCC, but they have not taken any permission from MCC to do business.