Corpn directed to work with cops, stop pavement parking

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice N Seshasayee also directed the Corporation Commissioner, who was present in court after being summoned in this regard to file an additional status report on the enumeration and identification of vending zones in 15 zones as per the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

The Commissioner informed the bench that the civic body has planned to construct parking places on and off road in 65 places in the city to accommodate 3.5 lakhs of vehicles out of 54 lakhs of two wheelers and 11.75 lakhs of four wheelers which are plying in Chennai. Adding that it has been decided to put up a multilevel car parking, he sought time to file a comprehensive status report.

To the bench’s query on preventing encroachments like two-wheeler parking and unauthorised occupation of hawkers on the newly inaugurated pedestrian plaza in Pondy Bazaar, Additional Advocate General PH Aravind Pandian submitted that it has been planned to hire the services of some private agencies to address the issue. Their services would be expanded to the other areas as well.

The issue is related to the PIL moved by Vandana Zachariah seeking for a direction to the Corporation to establish an independent special team to create and maintain pavements and also create a web based redressal forum like Swachhata app where city residents can lodge grievances relating to pavements.

The plea also sought for a direction to the police to make daily patrol on foot on the pavements in their jurisdiction and maintain a diary that can be referred to by any citizen under the Right to Information Act. The plea was posted for further hearing to December 18 when the additional status report sought for is expected to be filed.