HAFIZABAD - Encroachments on city’s main thoroughfares particularly at busy chowks are being multiplied with every passing day mainly due to the alleged connivance of elected representatives and partly due to corruption of the TMA staff, causing traffic hazards on most of the city roads.

The administration and former Lahore High Court chief justice Khawaja Sharif had taken keen interest in widening of the old Katcheri Road from Fawara Chowk to Vanike Chowk. The CJ had also donated old civil court premised to the district administration for the purpose.
The administration after spending million of rupees widened the road provided parking place and erected footpath on both side of the roads but due to negligence and corruption on the part of the TMA Staff all the footpaths have been occupied by all sorts of vendors. Even car parking place has been occupied by women grocery vendors, flower sellers and fruit and vegetable vendors.
Moreover, push-cart vendors (Rhriwalas) have occupied the Fawara Chowk, near Railway Gate, Vanike Chowk and other busy Chowks (crossroads), creating traffic mess all the day.
The pedestrians and motorists are facing a lot of inconvenience. In the absence of any rickshaw stand in the city, rickshawwalas park their three-wheeler wherever they like with the connivance of the TMA officials and traffic police, thus creating problems for the pedestrians.
The TMA Administrator and MNA / MPAs should take prompt measures to remove all the encroachments particularly from the main roads and busy chowks for smooth flow of traffic and convenience of the general public.