Row over drive against illegal parking

Following the instructions from city police chief Amit Garg, city traffic police wing formed a special team with 5 traffic inspectors and 15 traffic sub-inspectors to check the illegal parking in the commercial areas such as Siripuram, Daba Gardens, Dwarakanagar, Jagadamba Junction, Asilametta, Ramnagar, Zilla Parishad and other busy places in the city by imposing hefty fines.

The police have been issuing over 300 challans every day on an average for the past few days for illegal parking, which incl-udes, parking in no-parking zones, corner parking and parking on the footpaths and blocking a small part of road and double parking. The cops also have been collecting over Rs 1.75 lakh fine a day for the past few days.

On the other hand, the motorists have been engaged in arguments with cops for issuing challans and some motorists have termed that cops are looting them deliberately while GVMC and VUDA are not providing parking places in the city.

Anil Sarma, a motorist blamed the GVMC, VUDA and city police for not providing parking lots in commercial areas in the city for parking vehicles. The civic bodies have failed to set up multi-level parking lots and the GVMC drive to clear cellar of encroachment in buildings for providing parking space has still a long way to go. Cops have to understand our version also it is very difficult to pay Rs 1,000 every day for wrong parking, he added.

Speaking to this correspondent, ADCP (Traffic) K. Mahendra Patrudu said roads are meant for commuting, not parking cars, two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws. The most argument of the motorist, who are penalised for wrong parking is that they couldn’t find space anywhere. Lack of space can never be the excuse for illegal parking, he added.