Hyderabad: Every Sunday, while pedestrians jostle for space at the busy Erragadda metro station, vendors get busy setting up makeshift shops on scooters, on the stairs of the metro station, on railings, on the footpath under colourful umbrellas and on the main road leading to chaos and traffic congestion.
The GHMC, had recently, cleared 300 encroachments along the Erragadda main road and HMRL constructed footpaths. Railings on the stretch have become hangers for clothes. These vendors are seen selling clothes, suitcases and other items on either side of the road.
With the vendors taking up space on the pavements and spilling onto the roads, traffic bottlenecks have become frequent. Some people randomly stop their vehicles on the road and start making purchases.
A commuter and resident, G. Abhishek said, “The Sunday bazar has been happening for many decades at Erragadda. But, with the metro station, the width of the road has already been reduced leading to congestion. The problem gets compounded when people stop their vehicles and start buying the goods.”
By setting up their stalls on the roadside, the vendors are not only causing traffic snarls but are also putting their lives at risk.
Another resident, J. Pavan Chaitanya said, “Now that railings have been placed, the vendors are literally on the road. Co-existence of hawkers and facilities like the metro is the key for India. But the hawkers too need to be given appropriate places. We have been hearing about vending zones, but on the ground nothing has materialised.”
HMR authorities have said that they would ensure metro station premises were not occupied to allow the free flow of commuters.
HMR MD N.V.S. Reddy said, “It is not a vending zone. Even we want to prevent it but are waiting for the GHMC to act. Although, this is a Sunday bazaar, some of the places are occupied permanently. We will take action on vendors occupying the entrance of the metro station.”
