Encroached roads, illegal parking are choking traffic in key Ghaziabad areas

Ghaziabad: Residents of Vasundhara, Indirapuram, Shalimar Garden and other parts of the city have raised complaints about growing encroachments on roads and footpaths by shops, vendors, temporary structures, and illegally parked vehicles.These encroachments not only create traffic congestion and safety hazards but also severely affect pedestrian movement and emergency access, and undermine cleanliness and the environment, residents say.“Senior citizens, schoolchildren, women, and differently abled citizens are the worst affected,” said Vishal Singh, a resident of Vasundhara.Residents have written to the UP chief secretary, asking for a long-term solution.

Residents also suggested several practical, people-friendly systems to manage roadside and footpath encroachments in a lasting way and tackle this growing problem.“Some ways to manage these issues are: a clear legal definition of public road and footpath encroachment, a pavement licensing system for shops and cafes, dedicated enforcement and monitoring teams, digital complaint systems with mobile app reporting, a time-bound warning and penalty system for repeat violators,” said Pradeep Gupta, a resident of Shalimar Garden, who wrote the letter to the UP chief secretary.

He added that UP is rapidly progressing towards becoming a modern urban state; hence, adopting such globally proven municipal management practices can significantly improve traffic management, urban cleanliness, public safety, ease of movement, smart city governance and overall civic discipline.Surendra Kumar from Abhay Khand, Indirapuram, urged authorities to issue appropriate policy directions to urban local bodies, development authorities and municipal corporations to implement best practices in this regard.A response from officials concerned is awaited on the matter.