The Trinamool Congress-run Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) is preparing a standard operating procedure (SoP) for roadside vendors to clear major thoroughfares of encroachments and ease traffic congestion in the city, sources at the civic body said.

The decision was made at a meeting held at the SMC conference hall on Tuesday evening in the presence of mayor Gautam Deb and his deputy Ranjan Sarkar. Officials of the traffic department of the Siliguri metropolitan police (SMP) and representatives of the Hill Cart Byabsayee Samity attended the talks.

“We are preparing an SOP for vendors to regulate trading activities along different thoroughfares of the city. A four-member committee comprising the SMC secretary and representatives of the Siliguri police commissionerate and trade bodies has been formed for the purpose,” the deputy mayor said.

The civic body had earlier identified 101 vending zones and 61 non-vending zones in 47 wards. Despite repeated anti-encroachment drives, pavements along several principal streets are often found to be occupied by unauthorised vendors, leading to frequent traffic congestion.

“We have decided to streamline hawker vending zones by taking specific measures with the support of the SMP. Initially, we will focus on Hill Cart Road, after which similar measures will be extended to other major thoroughfares,” Sarkar said.

The parking issue was also discussed at the meeting, as the shortage of designated parking spaces remains a major concern for daily commuters.

“The city has around 20 dedicated parking spots, which are insufficient. Many of the parking lots are either occupied or encroached on. Sporadic drives will not resolve the problem. We are currently identifying new parking zones along Hill Cart Road, Sevoke Road, Burdwan Road, SF Road and other major arteries, in coordination with the police,” a source in the SMC said.

The traffic department of the Siliguri police commissionerate has been carrying out a drive for the past few days to clear major streets by cracking down on unauthorised parking.