Traders write to PCB, seek to end hawker menace

TRADERS IN Pune Cantonment Board are facing several issues due to the menace of illegal hawkers in the area. The Pune Camp Merchants’ Association has written to the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) urging the authority to take appropriate action on the issue.

In the letter, the association said the encroachment not only affect the traders and shopkeepers but also cause problems for the general public. “The hawkers set up stalls occupying significant portions of the roads. This encroachment causes severe traffic congestion in the area,” Cawas Pundole, President of Pune Camp Merchants Association, told The Indian Express.

Pundole said even the footpaths get occupied by the hawkers, leaving little space for pedestrians to walk. “When footpaths are filled with hawkers, the pedestrians are forced to walk on the already congested roads. It is a major safety hazard and could lead to road accidents,” he added.

The merchants’ association also highlighted other problems due to the menace. These include littering around the roads, violation of Covid norms and the unruly and violent behaviour of the hawkers. The traders also expressed their concerns over drop in sales and the losses they are incurring due to the nuisance.

“Inferior copies of good quality branded products are sold on the street. This directly affects mainstream business. This pain and the nuisance it causes can only be understood by us retailers,” the letter said. The association said that despite the high court’s order declaring the camp to be a hawker-free zone, various roads, lanes and bylanes of MG Road are under illegal encroachment.

Pundole said the encroachment has been going on for years, but they have seen only feeble attempts at resolving the problem. “The hawkers are aware of the anti-encroachment drive before it begins. They hide their stalls and leave the spot for some time, only to return when the drive is over. This has been happening again and again,” he said.