Encroachment, Street Vendors and Traffic Chaos in Gaya City: A Study of Core City Areas

Abstract

This research investigates the Encroachment, street vendors and traffic chaos in Gaya city and its core area. Urbanisation, informal economic activity and poor traffic management have resulted in growing numbers of street vendors taking over roadsides and public spaces, particularly along markets, religious places and transport points. Such encroachments contract road width, interfere with vehicle movement and cause congestion at major areas. Based on secondary data and field observations, this paper underscores the necessity for inclusive urban planning that weighs livelihood demands and traffic management.The outcomes provide critical insights for urban planners, policymakers and researchers engaged in managing urban growth in similar contexts.

Introduction

By 2050, approximately 70% of the global population will reside in urban areas, leading to the rise of megacities with over 10 million residents. Traffic congestion is among the most critical challenges these cities face, even more pressing than power, water, or healthcare issues. Congestion results from an excess of vehicles on roads, causing slow or stop-and-go traffic, significantly impacting freight movement and causing economic losses.

Gaya, a historic and religious city in Bihar, India, exemplifies these urban challenges. It has experienced steady population growth from about 133,700 in 1951 to nearly 476,000 in 2011, with projections reaching 694,000 by 2025. This urbanization has driven a substantial increase in vehicle registrations—from around 9,000 in 2006-07 to over 38,000 in 2024-25—with cars, tractors, and two-wheelers showing the highest growth. Conversely, public transport vehicles like buses and taxis have declined, indicating reduced investment or preference for private transport.

Traffic congestion in Gaya is particularly severe in core commercial areas with narrow roads (3 to 15 meters wide), exacerbated by roadside parking, encroachments, and illegal street vending. Major intersections and internal roads are frequently jammed. Physical barriers like the railway and Falgu River further restrict traffic flow. Street vendors, forming a vital informal economy, operate mainly along busy roads, contributing to congestion but also supporting livelihoods.

The situation highlights urgent needs for sustainable transport planning, improved public transit, infrastructure development, and better management of encroachments and street vending to alleviate congestion and promote efficient urban mobility in Gaya.

Conclusion

Above analysis of \"Encroachment, Street Vendors, and Traffic Chaos in Gaya City: A Study of Core City Areas\" discloses a confounding urban situation where informal economic life and unplanned growth have largely influenced urban transportation. Although, street vendors crucial to the city’s informal economy and livelihood of rural migrants. They take up footpaths, road margins and intersections of different roads. It happens particularly in commercial and busy area like K.P. Road, Station Road, Chock Area, Swarajpuri Road, Vishnupad Area, Tekari Road, G.B. Road etc. Due to their favourable location close to markets, schools, religious places and transport facilities, they cause repeated encroachment onto roads as well as the narrowing of carriageway width, aggravating traffic congestion. The inner core sections of Gaya city, with narrow roads that vary from 3 to 15 meters, are already overburdened in managing contemporary traffic levels. Ineffective enforcement, imprope designated vending areas, and poor public transport infrastructure have compound traffic clogs at key junctions such as Sikaria Mor, chock, Bypass, Manpur Road, KiraniGhat etc.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Prem Prakash. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.