The residents demand that the government ensure that there are no encroachments on footpaths and parking places
Ensure that the auto-rickshaws follow ‘all in four’ and the installation of meters for fare charges
Footpaths are encroached by law-enforcing agencies such as MCK and the Commissionerate of Police in shopping complexes in Karimnagar town
Karimnagar town is destroyed in the name of the Smart City project by converting the wide roads into narrow roads for obvious reasons
KARIMNAGAR, JANUARY 13, 2026: Welcoming Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s decision to impose penalties for traffic violations by automatically debit the amount from the bank account of the violators, the residents of the Karimnagar town have asked the state government, Transport department and Traffic police whether they are following rules of ensuring proper footpaths for pedestrians, removal of encroachments, checking of overloading of autos and allocation of proper parking places for the vehicles.
The Government should first ensure that it removes encroachments on footpaths and allocates adequate parking spaces for vehicles. Whether they are checking the overloading of the auto-rickshaws, which flout the traffic norms?, the Lok Satta Udyama Samstha leaders asked. The Karimnagar town was having wide roads, but in the name of the Smart City project, it was reduced to narrow roads, causing serious traffic congestion.
Minister for Transport Ponnam Prabhakar hails from Karimnagar town, and he should take measures for the removal of illegal encroachments of the footpaths and parking spaces taken up as part of the illogical Smart City project for ‘obvious reasons’. Earlier, the road around the Ambedkar stadium in Karimnagar town was a two-way lane with central lighting. But, as part of the Smart City project, it was reduced to a single road (narrow), allowing the hawkers and other traders and shoppers to encroach on the footpaths and parking spaces.
It is shocking to note that the footpath at the old Municipal guest house is encroached by traders, but the police or MCK do not remove encroachments and causing traffic snarls. Instead of removing the encroachments, the Traffic police erected barricades on the roads, causing serious congestion on the roads.
The auto-wallahs erect signboards stating that it is their ‘Auto stand, albeit Adda’. But, who are the authorities concerned, who are allocating the permission of auto-stands? It is surprising to note that there are three auto stands around the Karimnagar District Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB) in the heart of Karimnagar, causing several hardships to the road users. The auto-wallahs had even installed the cement benches on the main for their relaxation. But it is not noticed by the authorities concerned, including the traffic police.
But, the state government is only concerned about imposing e-challans and now decided to launch auto-debit from the bank accounts. It is time for the authorities to provide basic facilities for all the road users, including pedestrians and motorists, before launching the auto-debit deduction for traffic violations, said Lok Satta Udyama Samstha Karimnagar town convenor KS Narayana.
