Thiruvananthapuram: Hundreds of impounded vehicles that rust in traffic police station and the impound yard at Poonthura Milk colony have been exhausting valuable space at police owned premises, complain police officers.
Though space was freed up after auctioning hundreds of seized vehicles in 2014, the sheer population of vehicles involved in cases eat up space. This takes away parking space in stations, officials say.
“As per Motor vehicle department officials, any vehicle will suffer substantial deterioration if they lay unused for 15 days without being stored in a special manner. Vehicles simply rust at stations and impound yards. Many of them were totalled ones that have met with accidents. Some would have owners who have already passed away. Certain others would have been seized for criminal activities. In any case, they are turning police premises into junkyards,” complain senior police traffic officials.
The state police chief had recently directed policemen to release vehicle swiftly to avoid seized vehicles affecting thoroughfare on nearby roads.
As per norms, vehicles such as those captured for rash and negligent driving should be released to owners after mahasar preparation if Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) inspection was not necessary. In accident cases after MVD inspections vehicle can be returned if they needn’t be produced in courts.
“The best way to free up space will be to bring legal provisions that will empower government departments to use unclaimed vehicles after a stipulated date. A discussion should begin to achieve this. Even Milks colony impound yard is getting saturated,” an inspector of police said.
A vehicle shredding unit planned at Enchakkal was also yet to be realised.
