Residents of Jal Agha call for sidewalks to be cleared; traffic to be organized in city

ANHA's agency observed violations in the market of Jal Agha in al-Jazira region, where some shop and restaurant owners use pedestrian sidewalks to display their goods and place chairs and tables. This results in the sidewalks being occupied and blocked, effectively turning them into extensions of commercial activities.

This phenomenon has become the subject of growing complaints from residents, as it obstructs the daily movement of pedestrians on the city’s busy streets and forces them to walk through narrow passages between merchandise and seating areas, or step onto the main road, which is a major route between Qamishlo and Dêrik, amid moving vehicles. This poses a danger to their safety, particularly that of children and elderly people.

In this context, citizen Maryam Kabro Georgis said that pedestrian sidewalks have lost their primary function of providing a safe passage due to the widespread practice of illegally occupying them.

She stated that the phenomenon is no longer merely a minor violation, but has begun to affect residents’ daily lives and increase the risk of traffic accidents inside the city. She called on the municipal police department in Jal Agha to increase its patrols and hold violators accountable.

She said that shop owners have the right to conduct their businesses, but within certain limits, explaining that sidewalks are a public right for pedestrians and are not intended for displaying goods or sitting. She pointed out that the accumulation of merchandise and occupation of sidewalks has narrowed the streets, obstructed traffic, and caused disorder, particularly during the morning and afternoon hours.

Maryam Kabro Georgis called on the Jal Agha municipality and the relevant authorities to conduct continuous monitoring rounds in markets and streets, require shop and restaurant owners to remove encroachments and refrain from occupying sidewalks, and establish regulations defining the permitted areas while safeguarding citizens’ right to move safely.

For her part, the co-chair of the Jal Agha Municipality, Jahida Shamo, told our agency that municipal police patrols regularly issue violations to shop owners and warn them, but the phenomenon of sidewalk occupation continues.

She confirmed that shop owners are not cooperating with the municipality in organizing pedestrian movement, concluding her remarks by saying: “We will do our utmost to find a solution by intensifying our patrols to address this problem and meet the demands and complaints of the residents.

ANHA