Haphazard parking, abrupt halting of cabs driving motorists up the wall

Bengaluru: Haphazard parking and abrupt halting of cabs and private vehicles on busy roads has left motorists fuming, as these vehicles eat into the carriage way, causing traffic jams across the city.

Several roads, like 100 Feet Road in Indiranagar, Old Madras Road, Tin Factory Junction, Seshadripuram Road, Residency Road and MG Road, face this problem as cab and private vehicle drivers stop to pick or drop passengers on these busy stretches.

R. Hithendra, additional commissioner of police (Traffic), said, “This has been a major issue and we have been receiving a number of complaints. Cab drivers put on their blinkers and sit inside the car until a passenger arrives, while private car drivers wait for their owners to return after shopping. We cannot even penalise or tow them away, as drivers sit inside the car. We ask them to park where there is availability of space, but they do so only when they are forced to.” He said, “We are educating the drivers about the problems they cause. Such discipline cannot be forced and it should come to them on their own. We are discussing various ideas to curb the menace.”

Another senior police officer, who has been observing the trend, said that there should be designated parking spaces in these busy areas. “The yellow board vehicles, especially the cabs, park anywhere and everywhere and do not move until asked to. They do not even realise that they are blocking the traffic. In busy stretches like 100 Feet Road in Indiranagar, M.G. Road and Gandhi Nagar, the people who come to shop, stop right in front of the shop and ask their drivers to wait until they finish and get back. This should be banned completely.”

He said, “We are planning to erect more ‘No Parking’ boards on these stretches and will ensure that they are penalised despite the driver being present. We do not want the main traffic flow to be obstructed. People should be responsible enough to ensure that they do not obstruct traffic.”