150 vehicles towed from roadsides
ACTION People seen trying to save their cars across Delhi as civic agencies take away vehicles in massive numbers
NEWDELHI: As soon as the licensing department of South Delhi Municipal Corporation initiated the drive against abandoned and illegally parked vehicles on Aurbindo Road, people rushed trying to save their vehicles.
Some violators started vacating the place as soon as the antiencroachment squad reached the spot, while others tried to plead officials let their vehicles go.
A special task force comprising officials from the municipalities, traffic police and other road owning agencies on Tuesday removed around 150 illegally parked and abandoned vehicles from road sides that were eating up road space.
“It was a massive drive as the civic agency brought several cranes to impound vehicles immediately. But I don’t think it is going to make any difference in the long run because these vehicles are usually parked in two-tothree lanes, leaving only single lane for the movement of vehicles,” said Anita Gupta, a Yusuf Sarai resident.
According to residents, such drives should be carried on regular basis to discourage the violators from leaving vehicles on road sides.
“From Gautam Nagar Mod to Indian Institute of Technology, a total of 12 vehicles were impounded and challaned for ₹13,750. The action, aided by the Delhi Traffic Police, was conducted on both sides of the road and footpaths,” said an SDMC official.
Right from the beginning of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) till Green Park, vehicles are seen parked on both sides of road every day creating several traffic bottlenecks.
The MCD officials also carried drive on Bhishma Pitamah Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg, St Stephens’ Hospital to DCM Chowk, Shastri Park, Dwarka Mor, Gokhale Market around Tis Hazari, and Azadpur Mandi.
“We seized four cars from internal roads of Kotla Mubarakpur, as the residents had been repeatedly pursuing us to remove the vehicles. These vehicles have been lying here for years and have become a source of nuisance for locals. We will be keeping them at our store for two months, and if no one comes to claim them, we will auction their parts,” said an official from SDMC licensing department.
Special commissioner of police (traffic) Depender Pathak said Tuesday’s combined operation by all the agencies has made the operation more efficient and has presented a higher deterrent for violators.
“If this drive was implemented under the Motor Vehicles Act, then the fine amounts would have been lower. But under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, the fines for illegally parking your vehicles on the road sides range from ₹10,000 to ₹40,000 depending on the weight of the vehicles, and this fine increases every day” Pathak said.
At Netaji Subhash Marg, the North Corporation officials said they undertook the action on the demands of shop owners.
“Despite the main road connection to the Red Fort and thousands to tourists coming to the place every day, the area in-andaround the monument remains chaotic due to haphazard parking of vehicles and squatters,” said Satish Gupta, a shop owner at Chandni Chowk.