Clear footpaths, less traffic on election day

Guwahati: Assam panchayat elections temporarily transformed the urban landscape, as a significant number of street vendors, largely comprising of fruit and vegetable sellers, returned to their villages to cast votes, leaving city footpaths unusually accessible and roads noticeably less congested.

Walking through the city on Wednesday, Guwahatians experienced clear footpaths and less traffic.

Areas near the Jalukbari flyover, Pan Bazaar, Paltan Bazaar, Fancy Bazaar and multiple other locations that typically host dozens of vendors selling everything from seasonal fruits to vegetables were largely vacant, with only a handful of sellers maintaining their usual spots. The bus stops of Jalukbari, Bharalumukh, and Shilpukhuri, often encroached upon, were easily accessible to citizens on Wednesday.

"Because of panchayat elections, today I could walk on the footpath without having to step onto the road," said Rakesh Ojah, a resident of Jalukbari.

Traffic flow also improved with major thoroughfares experiencing smoother movement due to the govt requisition of several city buses for the panchayat election.

A private sector employee, Shabnam Sultana, said, "Today there is much less traffic than on usual days due to the requisition of several city buses for election duty while keeping the remaining buses densely packed."

An official of Assam State Transport Corporation said a total of 50 buses under ASTC had been requisitioned for panchayat election duty and all the 256 electric green buses are operational on the roads of Guwahati, providing service to the citizens.

Guwahati Municipal Corporation mayor Mrigen Sarania said, "Footpaths of Guwahati will soon be free from illegal vendors, and the enforcement branch has already evicted vendors from footpaths in multiple locations of the city."