Even the ambulances carrying critically ill patients had to wait sometimes outside the Super Speciality hospital, Shireen Bagh, Srinagar as the roadside and the footpaths remain occupied throughout the day by the street vendors and the illegal car parking, causing hardships to the people, especially the patients.

Several commuters as well as the attendants, whose patients are presently admitted at Super Speciality hospital here told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the footpaths have been permanently occupied by the street vendors.

“There is no space left for the pedestrians to walk on the footpaths as the street vendors have completely occupied it, forcing the people to walk on the middle of the road,” Nazir Ahmad, a local resident said.

He added that forcing the people to walk on the roadside instead of footpaths is tantamount to risking their lives as the possibility of the accident cannot be ignored. “It is not only footpath occupation that has shrunk the space for commuters and the pedestrians, but the illegal car parking at the other side of the road has further congested the road, thereby leading to the frequent traffic congestion as well as the sufferings to the people as well,” he said.

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Other locals and attendants echoed similar views and said as the road is in between the two prominent and busiest hospitals—Super Speciality and SMHS, the road witnesses huge rush of people and vehicles almost every second. “However, the illegal occupation of the road always pushes the people to suffer and even forces the commuters many times to get stuck in traffic mess. Sometimes the ambulances carrying patients can be seen stuck in the traffic mess,” they said.

The locals as well as the attendants here have appealed the concerned authorities to look into the matter and ensure that the illegal occupation of the footpath and the road is put to an immediate end so that the people could heave a sigh of relief.