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New Delhi: Hard pressed to deal with the traffic situation in the capital that seems to be worsening by the day, Delhi police seem to have given free reign to their cranes inside commercial spaces adjoining residential colonies.
Delhiites, however, aren't taking kindly to the new measures introduced by city police chief Y.S. Dadwal. Civic authorities are obliged to first provide proper parking spaces before resorting to punitive actions like towing away vehicles parked on the roadside, say residents.
People complain they have to keep an eye on their vehicles when they go out to buy provisions at the local groceries.
Pravesh Kumar, a resident of Mayur Vihar, said: "I had gone to the bank to deposit a cheque. It must have taken me just a couple of minutes. On returning, I found my car missing. A shopkeeper informed me that it had been towed away by the police."
Kumar was lucky to have an acquaintance in the department and managed to stop the tow-truck before it reached the police station. "I gave the sub-inspector Rs400 (Dh37) and we settled the matter," he said.
Fines for obstruction of traffic or improper parking of a four-wheeler range up to Rs800 and Rs700 in the case of two-wheelers.
Asked whether he did not feel it was wrong to first park the vehicle illegally and then bribe the official, Kumar retorted, "The cops have got it all wrong. Their mandate is to keep the roads free of congestion and not to tow away parked vehicles on the road where the traffic is moving freely."
No intention to harass
A senior traffic police officer of the city's eastern zone said: "Our purpose is to streamline the traffic and not to harass anyone. Some cases have come to our notice where the tow-truck operators have gone overboard but these are stray incidents.
"The public should understand that all these measures that are taken from time to time are for their safety and amount to an additional responsibility for the police force. Instead of complaining, they should cooperate," the official said.
According to the traffic police, all roads are no-parking zones unless authorised parking spaces have been provided. This new system has left people baffled, and women and the elderly are especially petrified.
Nargis, an elderly resident of Karol Bagh, said: "I have been living on my own since my husband's death. From shopping to banking, I manage the house on my own. The other day a police officer nearly towed away my vehicle as I was getting my groceries at the neighbourhood store."
Nargis said she felt ill at ease at the very thought of having to go to a police station alone to retrieve the vehicle. "This will mean either hiring an autorickshaw to reach the police station or requesting the neighbours for help. Imagine, with my monthly pension of Rs5,000 having to shell out Rs800 unnecessarily."
All this, despite the fact that all vehicle owners pay a charge to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi at the time of registration, the old woman said, taking exception to areas where cars with "for sale" stickers encroached on thoroughfares.
She was also critical about guest houses that operated from residential colonies. "Cars are parked in a haphazard manner in such areas, but we never see any vehicle being towed away. Why this discrimination?" she asked.
Says a sub-inspector, attached to the Connaught Place police station, "We follow the instructions of our seniors. It is not up to us to pick and choose where to enforce the drive. With the ever-increasing number of vehicles on the roads, most drivers, especially the rich, believe that the regulations are meant to be flouted."
The officer admitted that enforcement was slack in some areas, but pointed out that there was something about Delhiites that made them try to bend the rules. "There are times when people flaunt their connections and times when they threaten us with dire consequences," he said.
A few months back the traffic police had initiated a host of measures to crack down on errant drivers. About 100 senior serving officers of the defence forces were roped in to help catch motorists violating traffic laws. Designated as "special wardens", the air force and navy officers have been acting as a force multiplier to assist the traffic police. But there seems to be no respite for anyone.
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