Kolkata: A section of hawkers, who were removed from the pedestrian channel set up by police before Oberoi Grand, had started flocking in again. A fortnight ago, hawkers spilled over from the Grand Arcade to the pedestrian channel along Jawaharlal Nehru Road. However, after the TOI highlighted the issue, a joint team comprising cops and KMC conducted a drive to remove them last week.In such a scenario, Kolkata Traffic Police has reserved the extreme left lane of the Park Street-bound flank for pedestrians. Guard rails were installed along the edge to segregate it from the traffic flow and ensure safe passage for pedestrians and motorists. Cops were also deployed to ensure that pedestrians walk through the channel. But with hawkers also spilling over onto the pedestrian channel in the evening, particularly after dusk when the crowd built up, many pedestrians jostled their way through the channel.The cops decided to remove the guard rails to make the lane walkable. However, some hawkers took over portions of the channel again. “Instead of restricting hawkers and ensuring the right of passage for pedestrians on the pavement before Oberoi Grand, cops displaced pedestrians onto the road by setting up a channel for their safe passage. But that too got occupied by hawkers, forcing pedestrians into yet another traffic lane. Why should the rights of hawkers always take primacy over those of pedestrians?” fumed Manas Som, a resident of Bhowanipore, who had to negotiate the stretch daily. According to a KMC official, the encroachment matter will be placed at the next Town Vending Committee meeting to arrive at a consensus on the issue. “It is challenging to remove illegal double-lane parking and hawkers in front of the Grand Arcade, covering the stretch past Lindsay Street to the Park Street flyover approach. Every evening, we are clean. But sometimes, after the end of traffic hours, post 9 pm, things return to the old ways. We are planning some special drive along with local divisional police from both New Market and Park Street police stations,” said a Kolkata Police traffic wing officer.
