With two bidders evincing interest in operating city bus service on Public Private Transport (PPP) mode, the Sambalpur Municipality is gearing up to remove encroachment from the main road of the town to facilitate smooth plying of buses.
Sources said Sambalpur Municipality has issued notices to 200 people for illegal operation of kiosks along the main roads of the town recently. They said with the Municipality planning to flag off the service from January 26, the encroachment on the roads needs to be vacated before that.
Executive Officer of Sambalpur Municipality Aniruddha Padhan said the encroachment has to be removed from the main roads as he looked forward to plying of the city buses. If required, Municipality will resort to forcible eviction and the roadside vegetable vendors would be rehabilitated in the weekly market at Kamlibazaar which would be converted into a daily market.
Moreover, the number of vehicles on the roads has gone up significantly and in absence of parking zones and areas, it has become important for the Municipality to clear the roads of illegal kiosks who grab space displaying their wares right on the road. It is believed that the eviction would not only help in generating bigger space but also set the mood for further eviction drive.
