Malda, June 29: The Malda district administration has decided to revamp the traffic system in the town by removing dingy markets and clearing encroachments. The authorities will also introduce one-way movement and increase the number of persons assigned to regulate traffic.

For the first time in Malda, 40 home guards will be appointed solely to control traffic. While unauthorised structures on pavements will be demolished, no vehicles will be allowed to be kept in the slots marked as “no parking zones”. Only one-way traffic will be allowed on five roads in the town. The decisions were taken at an all-party meeting held yesterday.

“We had no other way. The 150-year-old Englishbazar municipality is virtually gasping for space because of population growth, ever increasing number of vehicles, illegal parking and hawkers. But under no circumstances can we create more space for traffic,” district magistrate Chittaranjan Das said.

Among others, MLAs, the chairman of the municipality, district leaders of political parties and the secretary and president of the chambers of commerce were present at the meeting.

Das said the district administration had sent a proposal to the Bengal transport department for revamping the traffic system, which entails an expenditure of Rs 10 lakh. He added that civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee had approved the appointment of 40 home guards for traffic control in town.

According to Das, the wholesale market at the congested Rathbari will be shifted to near Rabindra Bhavan. The work will be jointly done by the district administration and the municipality.

District police chief Malda Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said appointing 40 home guards would help improve the traffic regulation in the town.

According to Bandyopadhyay, over 15, 000 people vie for space in town where the number of vehicles is going up everyday. He added that as hawkers occupy both sides of the roads, people are forced to walk through the middle of the road.