The lifelines of our cities and towns — highways, main roads, and busy streets — are being strangulated under the unchecked mushrooming of handcarts loaded with fruits and vegetables. What was meant to be the smooth passage of commuters and transporters has now turned into a nightmare, where every stretch of road is occupied, every corner choked, and every vehicle forced into chaos.
The menace of mobile fruit and vegetable sellers squatting on highways is not just a matter of inconvenience; it is a grave assault on traffic discipline, civic order, and public safety. These encroachments slow down emergency vehicles, create endless traffic jams, and contribute to accidents. Ironically, those entrusted with maintaining order often turn a blind eye, either out of negligence or vested interests.
No society can progress if its arteries of connectivity are blocked by such lawlessness. It is high time the administration acts with resolve. Alternate spaces — properly designated vending zones — must be created so that livelihoods are safeguarded without holding the public hostage. But the message must be loud and clear: highways and busy roads are not marketplaces.
The public deserves smooth passage, not suffocation. The highways must be reclaimed from chaos, and the rule of law must prevail over this creeping anarchy.
