Pune : Illegal & haphazard vehicular parking on footpath troubles Kharadi shop owners

Shop owners near Prospero building in Tulja Bhawani Nagar in Kharadi are frustrated as vehicular parking takes on the nearby footpath, making it difficult to walk on the footpath & also to attract customers.

Speaking to Pune Pulse, a shop owner near Prospero, requesting anonymity said, “People simply park vehicles on the footpath along with their acquaintances, etc. After parking, they just sit on the vehicles, chit-chat, etc. People are scared of such people as they cause disturbance. Also, the people who park their vehicles keep spitting everywhere due to which the area has become very dirty & unhygienic. The vehicle drivers seem to be very young in age and might not even have a driving license. If anyone objects, they get violent & scare them off by picking up stones, physically trying to beat them, etc. Hence, everyone gets very afraid of interrogating them. Due to the footpath parking, nobody can walk from here. People have to walk on the roads, posing a safety threat & also for my business, customers are scared of these haphazard vehicle parking people. Hence, customers aren’t attracted towards my shop. We have complained about this to the police several times, but no action is taken.”

Another shop owner near Prospero, requesting anonymity said, “This has been happening for around 2 years. Due to such illegal parking on footpaths, customers are not attracted towards my shop, it is not safe at all for people to walk etc. Such people park their vehicles & quickly run away. Apart from footpaths, they also park on the roads. Hence, the road near Prospero, which might be around 80 to 90 ft, has been reduced to only 30 to 40 ft.”

Another shop owner near Prospero, requesting anonymity, said “Vehicular parking is done on the footpath after which they go away. Amongst such people are also some food delivery vehicles who park on the footpath. Hence, it has become very troublesome. This significantly impacts the number of customers who come to my shop. Also, these people keep speaking in a very foul language, spit everywhere & if any of us even requests them to move, they abuse us.”

Manisha Patil, Police Inspector, Chandan Nagar Police Station said, “We shall visit the place and take necessary action.”

Shreyas Vange