Lang Bazaar Road in Vellore choked by encroachments

The road has shrunk to a concrete pathway from its original width of 40 ft. due to the encroachments.

Lang Bazaar Road, a British-era stretch opposite the 16th century fort complex in Vellore, is struggling for road space, as encroachments, mostly trucks and cars parked illegally, occupy most of the carriageway. This poses a risk to pedestrians, who are mostly women and senior citizens.

Named after Lt. Gen. Ross Lang of the then Madras Army in the late 18th century, the road has shrunk to a concrete pathway from its original width of 40 ft. Wholesale vendors occupy most of the tiled footpaths to display groceries and other household items.

“The stretch should be restored for pedestrians, as senior citizens and women are unable to walk safely on it, including on the footpaths,” said R. Sumathi, a resident.

Residents said trucks and lorries are parked round-the-clock on both sides of the carriageway. Most of these vehicles come from neighbouring districts and States with groceries and perishables for wholesale traders in the area. Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians have to squeeze through the narrow gaps between the vehicles to reach the shops.

Officials of the Vellore Corporation, which maintains the road, said efforts to regulate the flow of vehicles, especially trucks and lorries, had proved futile, mainly because of opposition from wholesale traders.

“Traders do not get adequate labourers to unload goods from trucks to godowns on the stretch. As a result, vehicles wait for hours to complete the work. The civic body and the police should work with traders to find an amicable solution for better use of road space,” said P. Gnanavel, president, Vellore All Traders Association. After repeated inspections, Corporation Commissioner A. Catherine Saranya directed officials to prohibit all vehicles, including cars and autorickshaws, from parking on both sides of the road a few days ago.

Trucks and lorries were also restricted to delivering consignments before 8 a.m. every day. Police personnel were deployed to enforce the order. Many residents and motorists welcomed the move.

However, before the restrictions could be enforced permanently, traders downed shutters in protest against the curbs on trucks and lorries. With no police personnel left to regulate traffic, Lang Bazaar Road reverted to its old state.