Can clamps ease parking woes?

Since most of City’s traffic police’s efforts to crackdown on illegal parking have mostly headed down the drain, it has now been decided to crack the whip a wee bit differently on those violating norms. In their bid to ease traffic snarls due to choking of arterial roads courtesy illegal parking, the cops plan to use ‘clamps’ to immobilise vehicles and to charge a fine of Rs 600 from the violator.

Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic Anil Shukla in his statement clarified that the main idea is to educate people about illegal parking as it obstructs movements of other vehicles on arterial roads and main carriageways.

For this as many as 60 major roads identified as no-parking zones (as per a comprehensive survey by the police) which will come under a strict vigil and the illegally parked vehicles on these stretches will be clamped. Citing its advantage over towing of vehicles, the department is rather pleased with the idea. But, much to their surprise the citizens are an unhappy lot.

At a time when police have already begun the exercise in 10 areas including Connaught Place, Chandni Chowk, Nehru Place, Saket and Tilak Nagar and has fined over 1,800 people for parking in prohibited zones, car owners call it a move to harass people.
“Clamps will lead to unnecessary traffic jams. According to police, clamps will solve the problem of owners who have often complained of scratches on their vehicles when they are towed away but at the same time, clamps will not serve the purpose of easing jams on major roads. What’s the benefit?” questions Anwar Ahmed, owner of a watch store in Chandni Chowk.

Meanwhile, others call clamps a useless method to curb illegal parking. “People in Chandni Chowk are very intelligent. They can easily get rid of those clamps without being noticed,” says Sanjay Bhargava, secretary, Sarv Vyapar Mandal, Chandni Chowk. Sharing what he saw recently near his shop, “By using a jack, the car owner not only replaced the ‘clamp attached tyre’ with a spare tyre, he moved away - taking the clamp with him!”

According to him clamping the vehicles won’t do any good, especially in Chandni Chowk, until and unless the authorities don’t provide parking facilities in the area.

He says, “There is no denying that Chandni Chowk is a no-parking zone. One of the parking areas, Gandhi Ground, gets completely packed with vehicles by 11 am. Inspite of its dilapidated condition, people are forced to park their vehicles there. The other parking areas like Parade ground hasn’t been functional for over a year. Only surface parking is available and that in a congested area like Chandni Chowk is as good as useless.”

Meanwhile, observing that illegally parked vehicles create chaos on the main roads, the traffic police have decided to slap multiple section of Motor Vehicle Act and impose Rs 600 as penalty. Now, violators will be slapped a fine of Rs 100 under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act for improper parking and a fine of Rs 500 under Section 179 for obstruction and disobeying lawful directions.

So, now if your car tyres get clamped, get rid of the challan first and then get your vehicle unlocked.