LAHORE – KHALID MALIK - Encroachments on footpaths and service roads in the city are rapidly increasing while the business community of key markets are renting-out adjacent footpaths in violation of laws forcing pedestrians to walk on roadsides causing road accidents, a survey conducted by The Nation revealed on Monday. It was witnessed during survey that many footpaths were damaged as they were being misused, especially those constructed with rough tiles and according to construction experts these tiled footpath were not durable and the government was wasting public money on temporary substances, low quality and disposable type material. In addition to that, some citizens are also misusing these footpaths as litter, building materials, cements bags, iron rods and bricks block these public paths and create hurdles for pedestrians. The DCO stated that there was a ban on storing things like construction material, electronic goods, benches, chairs, carts and any other items on roads or footpaths. “Those found guilty of violating the ban would be penalised,” he said. Whereas, major portions of the footpaths along with most of The Mall, Dharampura Road, Canal Bank Road from Dharampura to Harbanspura, Ferozpur Road, Lower Mall, Queen’s Road, Lawrence Road, Jail Road, Multan Road, Allama Iqbal Road, Empress Road, McLeod Road, Ravi Road, Davis Road, Aziz Road Misri Shah, Shad Bagh Road, Chah Miran Road, GT Road, Circular Road, Hall Road, Wahdat Road and roads of Main Gulberg including Guru Mangat Road, Hali Road, MM Alam Road, Noor Jahan Road and Ali Zaibhave been lost to encroachments.