Abandoned vehicles still a nuisance on major roads in Bengaluru

It has been over a year since the Karnataka High Court passed an interim order, directing the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) and the Bengaluru Traffic Police to clear abandoned vehicles from roadsides and footpaths in Bengaluru.

Metrolife found that a number of busy thoroughfares continue to be lined with unclaimed vehicles.

Siri Gowri, DCP traffic (north), says her team routinely presents a list of owners of abandoned vehicles to the BBMP.

“It is the BBMP’s responsibility to take the initiative and auction unclaimed vehicles,” she told Metrolife.

Tracing an abandoned vehicle is time-consuming. Sometimes the number plates and chassis numbers are different, and often the owner can’t be found at the registered address. 

“Each household has multiple
cars but not enough space to park them. So when they have no use for a vehicle, they leave them on the roads,” she explains.

Snehal R, BBMP zonal commissioner (east), cites the BBMP rule on what is termed an ‘abandoned’ vehicle. It is one “not moved from the place of parking on the footpath for over 15 days and (is) unclaimed by anyone”.

Such vehicles are towed to a designated yard 10 days after a notice is pasted on them. A public notice is then issued. If they are unclaimed even after seven days of the public notification, they can be auctioned on the MSTC (ministry of steel) portal.