A day after MiD DAY reported on the rampant illegal parking in the lane outside CCI, traffic cops paid a visit to the spot, evicting some vehicles, towing away others
A day after MiD DAY reported on the rampant illegal parking in the lane outside CCI, traffic cops paid a visit to the spot, evicting some vehicles, towing away others
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In a bid to pull the brakes on rampant illegal parking on Dinshaw Vaccha Road outside the Cricket Club of India (CCI), the traffic police got busy last evening, ousting illegally parked cars from the busy lane in Churchgate.
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(Double jeopardy on Cramped Lanes,). Spurred into action by this report, the city's traffic police department went on overdrive last evening, evicting all the illegally parked vehicles from the street.
Traffic Police Constable Anil Dhumbre, who had been dispatched to the spot, said, "This is a day-to-day problem, but after MiD DAY's report, we have increased our patrolling activities here, and are constantly on the lookout for illegally parked vehicles."
He further added, "It is better to warn them before penalising them. The drivers park here because the vehicle owners instruct them to.
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We can tow away the cars that are empty, but cannot do the same with the ones that have chauffeurs sitting inside. At the most, we can confiscate their driving licences.
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We also steer clear of imported cars, as they are equipped with automatic locking systems, which may get damaged while we are towing them away. Otherwise we have to pay for the damages while releasing the car."
At the very outset of the drive last evening, a towing van lugged away two motorbikes and a car from the area.
As soon as the traffic cops started towing away the next batch of cars parked on the pavements, their drivers came running, begging them to stop.
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Within minutes, the entire lane was breathing easy, the rows of cars that had lined it previously having disappeared.
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Reiterating that it was illegal to park on pavements, Dhumbre said, "If the pavements are teeming with cars, then where will pedestrians walk?"
Deputy Police Commissioner (Traffic) Nandkumar Chougle said that it was imperative for the CCI to make internal parking arrangements for vehicles owned by its members, which are always parked in double and triple lanes on Dinshaw Vaccha Road.
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He said, "Even if the traffic cops patrol the roads and warn the drivers, they return to the spot after a while.
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The only long-term solution is that the club members who frequent CCI locate a parking lot nearby, and call for their drivers when they wish to leave. There is a parking lot near the NCPA."
Nitin Dossa, executive chairman of Western India Automobiles, said, "The CCI should think of acting on their plans for a multi-storey parking lot in the premises, and soon.
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That is the only solution for this perennial problem."
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