Team Herald
MARGAO: Illegal handcarts loaded with fruits and vegetables taking up space on busy roads, and the customers who stop abruptly to buy their produce are the primary reason for traffic congestion within the commercial town of Margao during peak hours, complain citizens.
These carts and hawkers also obstruct the movement of pedestrians by taking up precious space on the footpaths to store or dispose of their waste, forcing people to walk on the road, amidst traffic.
For instance, two fruit vendors always park their handcarts on either side of the road at the entrance of the SBI Bank at Malbhat, obstructing the free movement of the traffic on the narrow road. The Margao Traffic Cell is yet to take action against them.
Milind Raiker, a regular visitor to the bank, pointed out that the tender coconut and fruit vendors do brisk business despite having encroached into public space at Malbhat.
“With such a situation and vehicles parked all around, entering the bank becomes very difficult,” said Raiker, adding that the road experiences traffic bottlenecks due to these illegal roadside businesses.
“These hawkers sell fruits by the roadside and those who wish to grab a bite tend to park on the street while enjoying their fruits, and their temporary parking encourages other drivers to park their vehicles on the road as well, narrowing the entire stretch and causing a traffic jam,” he added.
Senior citizen Ulhas Kerker said that handcarts are often parked haphazardly without any consideration for other vehicle owners.
