Hyderabad: A large number of building and shop owners have encroached on the footpath built along the Regimental Bazaar main road connecting the Secunderabad railway station to the Parade Ground Metro station.
Pedestrians, including travellers and commuters are having a tough time navigating the road.
The hacked footpath stretch starts from the Secunderabad railway station and ends at Clock Tower, full of permanent and temporary settlements. Most shopkeepers run their businesses in front of their shops.
With traffic snarls becoming a regular affair, many commuters complain that they can neither walk on the road nor on the footpath.
Mary S., a daily commuter, said, “Walking through this stretch is a struggle. Most shops have kept their hoardings and flex on the footpath which chokes the movement of people on it. These footpaths are very wide and can accommodate many people but because of these constructions, not even a single person is able to walk on them.”
In the locality, there are three schools and one college but students and children are forced to walk on the road because of the encroachments.
Jayashree Paidipala who comes to pick up her children said, “I started coming to pick and drop my son after he met with an accident because he was walking on the road. I don’t know where I should complain about this.”
Deputy city planner, Secunderabad Zone, Prasad Rao, said, “We have been regularly penalising the offenders. In other areas we are carrying out anti encroachment drives.”
