Traffic snarls in city on the rise
Faced with increasing traffic snarls in the city due to illegal and obstructive parking, the police have chalked out a plan to augment and modernise its fleet of recovery vehicles.
“We have sought deployment of heavy and modern recovery vans to tow away vehicles which disrupt smooth movement of vehicles and pedestrians. It will enable removal of goods carriers and even buses. For this, we may opt for help from private agencies. Such measures are in vogue in most metro cities in India. We will clamp down on obstructive parking, for which social media campaigns were done about the enhanced fine that can be levied under the amended provisions of Motor Vehicles Act,” said a senior traffic police officer.
The pair of recovery vans with the city police does not have a hydraulic mechanism to enable fast and efficient towing away of vehicles. They sometimes cause damage to vehicles that are being towed away.
Retired Superintendent of Police K.E. Joy, who helmed the city traffic police a decade ago, said the police must take firm and deterrent action against owners of haphazardly-parked vehicles.
“Cars cause 90% of parking-related problems in Kochi. Then come unauthorised autorickshaw stands at junctions, which choke traffic flow and create blind-spots for motorists.”
The police must upgrade its fleet of recovery vans to swiftly tow away vehicles. It must rope in heavy-duty cranes owned by private firms if the need arose, said Mr. Joy.
“Above all, the no-parking rule must be strictly enforced. The East and West zones of City Traffic must deploy a team each of police personnel to move around areas in their jurisdiction and take action against rule violators,” he said.
Meanwhile, the MVD has stepped in to remove obstructions caused by wanton vehicle parking in front of shops and other places.
Nithin Rosh 
Nisham Ismail