Ahead of Chief Minister’s visit, police remove encroachments in Long Bazaar, Vellore

Illegally parked vehicles also removed on Long Bazaar Road

Encroachments, especially hawkers, pushcart vendors and illegally parked vehicles on the Long Bazaar Road, opposite to the Vellore fort were removed by a team of police personnel on Wednesday to create an alternative route for traffic diversion during Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s scheduled visit to the town on June 21.

Police said as per schedule, the Chief Minister was set to inaugurate the new bus terminus, off the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 48), near Green Circle in Sathuvachari and give away government assistance to beneficiaries at a function in the new terminus complex. However, due to continuous flow of motorists around Green Circle, which connects Katpadi with the Old Town and the highway, alternative routes like the Long Bazaar Road and Arcot Road were being cleared of encroachments. “Encroachments on Long Bazaar were cleared to ease traffic flow and make the stretch pedestrian-friendly. Such drives will be done regularly by the police,” said Vellore SP S. Rajesh Kannan.

Designed on the guidelines of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), the Long Bazaar Road is 15 metres wide on both sides with a concrete median. The stretch is the hub of commercial activity in the fort town due to its proximity to the British era Netaji market.

The stretch was re-laid with cement concrete early this year with LED street lights, no parking sign boards and pedestrian crossings.

However, the problem of encroachments remained unresolved on the Long Bazaar Road.

Repeated demolition drives by Vellore Corporation had little impact in providing better road space for walkers. “We are losing business as many customers are unwilling to step in due to the congestion on the stretch. Lack of parking facilities, including for customers, is the major reason for the chaos,” said Mohammed Aslam, a fruit vendor.

With the civic officials busy in desilting drains and canals across the town, police have stepped in to remove encroachments on busy stretches and intersections ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit.