Traffic police on Tuesday evicted about 35 street vendors from around the Banashankari Metro station. The vendors claimed they had all necessary documents, yet were forced out.
The eviction was forceful and illegal, said Manjunath, BBMP street vendor town vending committee member. “The sellers should be informed in advance and alternative places must be provided as per the rules. None of the protocols were met by the police during the process,” he said adding that the traffic police don’t have the authority to evict without BBMP’s presence.
M A Saleem, Special Commissioner of Police, Traffic, confirmed that no orders were given to the police, following his inspection of the same place two days ago.
A well-placed officer in BBMP said the vendors encroached upon the area not designated for their business. “We have been warning them for many days, but they didn’t listen. The temple premises is teeming with sellers, inconveniencing commuters and increasing the risk of accidents. We won’t bother them if they move at least 100 metres away and do business in designated places,” he said.
(Published 17 January 2023, 19:26 IST)
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