Vendors occupy platforms at the Salem New Bus Stand even as Corporation has warned them not to do so.
| Photo Credit: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

Vendors have put up stalls on the platforms in the Salem New Bus Stand though the Salem Corporation have warned them not to do so. The encroachments are causing inconvenience to commuters.

The Salem Corporation permitted 135 shops to function in the bus stand. It includes 48 retail outlets, 56 shops on the platforms and two hotels. However, there are hundreds of vendors who have spread out their wares, including fruits and food items, on the platforms. Some even use LPG cylinders and cook food on the platforms.

The Salem Corporation sent a notice to all the shops and warned that their licences will be cancelled, if they used inflammable materials. But the encroachers continue to do business and use cylinders to cook.

N. Praveen Kumar, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Salem North City secretary, said that apart from encroachers, those who have taken shops legally also encroach on spaces around the shops. Except for the two hotels, all shops are 48 sq.ft. or 60 sq.ft. in size. But, the actual space they occupy is more than 200 sq.ft. each. They divide the space and rent out to more vendors.

The shops are back in operation within a couple of hours of the Corporation officials evicting them. As per court order, inflammable materials should not be used on bus stand premises, except in the hotels. But over 20 eateries use LPG cylinders for cooking.

A few months ago, a fire incident was reported in a shop. Since it happened at night, passengers were not affected. The civic body should take stern action against the shops and remove the encroachments, he said.

Salem Suramangalam zone officials said eviction drives will be conducted regularly and steps will be taken to ensure vendors do not occupy space on the platforms.