Mangaluru: The Mangaluru City Traffic Police resumed their practice of towing away vehicles after having taken a break due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Prior to the lockdown, the traffic police were operating four towing vehicles, but they are operating only two in operation under the Mangaluru East (Kadri) and West Traffic (Pandeshwar) police station limits.
With regard to the parking violations, the traffic police fined 254 two-wheelers and 58 four-wheelers, collecting nearly Rs 6 lakhs in the process. Two-wheelers and four-wheelers are fined Rs 1650 and Rs 2,000 for illegal parking, of which Rs 350 (two-wheeler) and Rs 500 (four-wheeler) go towards the towing vehicle contractor.
Speaking to Newskarnataka.com, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP-Traffic) M A Nataraj said, “Towing of illegally parked vehicles resumed on September 8 under the West traffic police station and towing under the East police station limits started a few days later. The South and North traffic stations will also start towing illegally parked vehicles soon. We have requested the higher officials to depute vehicles for the same. These vehicles have to come from Bengaluru city. A majority of the traffic violations in the city include fall under the categories of no parking, haphazard parking, parking in bus bay, parking in no-parking zones, double parking, obstruction, and others.”
According to the ACP, this initiative is part of a crackdown on illegal parking and to free up space for the movement of vehicles.
Vehicle owners have, however, complained that vehicles are handled carelessly while being towed. Responding to this, the ACP clarified that any vehicle parked in violation of the rules will be towed away to the nearest police station. “We will ensure that no damages or mishandling has occurred, he added.
