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Tribune News Service
Shimla, February 14
Wielding the axe after dithering for years, the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) demolished 11 shops, including dabhas and shacks, which were in a dilapidated condition and thus removed a major traffic bottleneck near the congested Old Bus stand on the Cart Road, a lifeline of the capital city.
The whole site has been widened. “We are breathing fresh air. Pedestrians were facing a tough time on this 100-m-long congested road stretch,” said a hotelier at Old Bus stand site.
With the demolition of this major road block, the Cart Road is now left with a small traffic bottleneck at a narrow bend, about 30 yards short of the police post at Sabji Mandi road. The PWD and the SMC are now trying to remove this bend also.
Displaced shop owners have been rehabilitated in the new complex of the Deen Dayal Upadhayaya (DDU) hospital building while the other four in the HP state electricity board building near the bus stand. These shops were manned by the SMC and received Rs 25,000 as monthly rent.
The SMC is building a smart rain shelter, five parking bays for local buses, said Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Rai. “We are also setting up a water ATM and traffic police control room at the site that would facilitate passengers and a smooth flow of traffic on the Cart Road,” he added.
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