Mangaluru: Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will declare a 100-metre radius around Central Market a no-parking and no-vending zone after the new market becomes operational and roadside vendors are shifted there, MCC Commissioner Rahul Ratnam Pandey said on Thursday during the ‘Walk with Commissioner’ programme in Ward 41.Pandey said the new Central Market is nearly complete and expected to be ready within a month. Roadside flower, fruit and fish vendors will be relocated there, while customer parking will be available on all three floors.Residents sought relocation of the GHS Cross Road bus stop opposite University College, citing obstruction to free-left vehicle movement. Pandey directed officials to explore bus bays at Hampankatta and farther from the existing stop, shift utilities, examine road widening and prepare estimates.Concerns were also raised about traffic congestion and cleanliness near Venkataramana Temple, Bhavanthi Street and GHS Road. As a trial, officials were instructed to allow parking for two-wheelers and autorickshaws at the temple square while restricting four-wheelers to drop-off access.The commissioner ordered notices to establishments encroaching on footpaths, giving them 15 days to remove extensions or face seizure of materials. MCC will also examine road-widening cases, including properties that have and have not surrendered land.At GHS Road, residents demanded wider footpaths. Officials were directed to reclaim encroached footpaths, improve cleanliness, shift utilities and roadside shops, and remove unused MESCOM poles.Pandey found an eatery on Balmatta Road operating without a trade licence and gave it seven days to produce one. He also ordered licence inspections across city limits, warning of fines and licence cancellations for repeat violations.On waste management, Pandey said MCC has begun imposing fines for illegal dumping. Probationary IAS officer Archit has been designated nodal officer for solid waste management. The Integrated Command Centre will use surveillance cameras to identify violators, issue notices and levy fines, while repeat offenders could face FIRs.He said legal and technical hurdles had delayed the multi-level car parking project at the old Hampankatta bus stand. A new agency has submitted a 15-day progress schedule and the project is expected to be completed in 1.5 years.Pandey also inspected an Indira Canteen and said such visits would form part of every programme. The ‘Walk with Commissioner’ initiative will be held monthly to address civic issues and expedite solutions. Officials from MCC, traffic police and other departments participated.BOX:A previous TOI reality check highlighted encroached and discontinuous footpaths, roadside parking, buses stopping outside designated bays, mid-road stoppages, street-vendor congestion and inadequate parking on Central Market and GHS roads. The report also flagged poor pedestrian safety, damaged footpaths, garbage and wastewater, and bottlenecks near key junctions.
