Police in a fix over vehicles seized for violations

The traffic police are in a real fix on how to handle seized vehicles as there is no space for parking on traffic police station premises.

Vehicles seized for traffic violations are either parked outside the police station — encroaching on the pavement — or on the side of the main road that is clearly marked as a ‘No Parking’ and ‘No Halting’ zone.

Talking to DH, R Hithendra, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), admitted they were helpless in the matter. “Most of the vehicles will remain with us for months together. We cannot find a designated parking space for them. When we tow a vehicle, it becomes our responsibility. So, it’s better we keep it under close watch. We tend to park the seized vehicles in the surroundings of the police station.”

In most of the cases, unclaimed vehicles are auctioned by the police as per the rate fixed by RTO officials. This process takes at least six months, during which the police will be solely responsible for the vehicles. The vehicles are parked around the police station, or wherever there is empty space. A barricade is created around most of the vehicles parked on the main road.

Admitting the lapse and the hazardous parking of vehicles in police stations, Hithendra said: “I admit vehicles are parked in police station surroundings, but that’s not creating problems to anyone. Policemen are efficiently handling this issue. Even after a month if the owner comes to claim the vehicle, he/she will get it back without any damage.” He continued: “Since the owner should claim the vehicle back, we have to keep it as close to the police station as possible.”

Suraj Shastri, who went to claim his towed two-wheeler from the Malleswaram police station, was surprised to see it parked in the underpass, which was declared a ‘No Parking’ zone by the policemen themselves. The scene is commonplace outside key area traffic police stations such as Halasuru Gate, Yeshwantpur, Jayanagar, Banashankari, Malleswaram and Upparpet.