Why Solutions Elude Vending on Footpaths & Haphazard Parking

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Without making viable alternatives available, no government can ever do away with problems like haphazard parking and vending on footpaths. However, this truth finds no takers among the think tanks of the GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) and the Kamrup (M) district administration. Both vending on footpaths and haphazard parking are considered unruly signs of any city.

Without setting up specific vending zones, the GMC has been relying on eviction drives to get rid of the problem of vending on footpaths in Guwahati. The result is that the vendors reappear on the city’s footpaths after a few days of their eviction. Such eviction of vendors and their reappearance have been going on the footpaths in Guwahati for years and on.

This faulty practice has been going on in Guwahati in sheer contrast to the Street Vendors Livelihood and Protection Act that seeks specific vending zones for vendors. Eviction of vendors from footpaths in Guwahati will be effective and logical only if it is done after providing them vending zones.

Around a year back, a decision was taken to set up vending zones at Barbari, Chandmari, Uzan Bazar, Ganeshguri, Lakhtakia, Fancy Bazar and near Meghdoot Bhawan in the city. However, the enthusiasm on the move appears to have evaporated into thin air. Strangely enough, the authorities have leased out the spaces below flyovers in Guwahati, say at Six Mile. Such a practice leads to traffic snarls in the areas every now and then, besides posing a security threat.

According to the Guwahati Path Byobosayee Sanstha (GPBS), the GMC did assure the over 7,000 street vendors of the city of providing them vending zones in accordance with the relevant Act. However, the assurance is far from becoming a reality. Sources in the Sanstha say that if any vendor is found to do business on footpaths even after the setting up of specific vending zones in the city they will help the authorities to nab such vendors. They also raise the demand for doing away with the practice of leasing out spaces below flyovers in the city.

Around 40 per cent of roads in Guwahati are occupied by vehicles parked in either of their sides. This is happening as there are no parking lots in the metropolitan city where they are needed the most. Such a situation leads to traffic jams in the city every now and then and for every single incident leading to road rage.

The GMC has set up two multi-storeyed parking lots – one in front of the State Zoo and the other in the ASTC (Assam State Transport Corporation) complex at Paltan Bazar. However, these two parking lots have no takers, ostensibly for wrong site selection. The metropolitan city badly needs parking facilities at Chandmari, Panbazar, Ulubari etc. Why have the authorities concerned failed to erect four or five parking facilities in Guwahati where they are needed the most makes a genuine question? As if to add to the woes, the authorities have leased out spaces on roads for parking.

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