CHATTOGRAM, Dec 13: Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has kicked off a special crackdown on illegal occupation of footpaths in the port city.
On the first day of the eviction drive on Tuesday, Executive Magistrate of CCC Marufa Begum Nely conducted a raid on Access Road and Sheikh Mujib Road in Agrabad area of the city.
During the operation, mobile court realised Tk20,000 in fine from four people for illegally occupying footpaths.
Besides, in another mobile court drive led by Special Magistrate Monisha Mohajon, five people were fined Tk 14,000 for occupying footpaths illegally on DT Road in Monsurabad area under Doublemooring thana of the city.
Footpaths on both sides of the roads, particularly the main roads, are increasingly going under illegal occupation of grabbers in the city.
Large areas along footpaths are turning into hawker markets while both sides of the roads are being changed into parking zones now. As a result, the total areas of the roads and footpaths cannot be used.
Vehicles are parked here and there on the roads shrinking space for regular traffic.
Mobile courts removed unauthorised structures and hawkers from the footpaths in the said areas.
Executive Magistrate Marufa Begum Nely said the mobile court drive to evict illegal occupiers from footpaths would continue.
Locals said due to the illegal occupation of footpaths, traffic congestion on the city road has intensified in recent time making public life far more miserable.
Especially, the main roads are shrinking due to the illegal parking.
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