GCC cordons off space for hawkers near congested NSC Bose Road

Chennai: Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is creating spaces for hawkers near the congested NSC Bose Road despite Madras high court orders not to allow encroachments on the busy stretch.
GCC has cordoned off an open space behind the Flower Bazaar police station and is constructing a building that will accommodate at least 60 hawkers.
This busy junction is not a vending zone. MTC buses leaving the Broadway bus terminus take a left turn to Evening Bazaar to reach EVR Periyar Salai at the RGGGH junction.
GCC is evicting 288 vendors from the Broadway bus terminus for construction of the multi-modal complex. All of them are given spots in various parts of Broadway and Parry's localities such as Evening Bazaar, Fort railway station and Rattan Bazaar.
Police estimate that around 5,000 vehicles pass through this route hourly. If customers start coming to these stalls once constructed, there will be a traffic pile-up.
Civic activist R Ramesh said the entire Flower Bazaar area is encroached by hawkers. He said except for the stretch reclaimed outside high court, the road is encroached everywhere else. "The high court order is for the entire road, but GCC doesn't enforce it fully. During peak hours, even cars take up the entire lane to park. Building stalls for encroachers here will narrow the stretch further," he said.
P Sriramulu, zonal chairman for Royapuram, said a new terminus is being built on Port Trust land. "Buses won't ply through Evening Bazaar anymore, and these shops won't cause any traffic," he said.