Bengaluru: A month after the city brought back towing for wrongly parked vehicles, the impact is already visible on the streets: Bengaluru traffic police data shows that nearly 600 vehicles, a majority of them cars, have been lifted and cleared.Currently, towing operations are active across three key divisions — central, west, and north — with six trucks in service, and the drive is set to expand soon. Joint commissioner of police (traffic) Karthik Reddy told TOI: “In the near future, six more vehicles will be added, and towing will be carried out in the south and other parts of the city.”The towing fleet, provided by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), operates with a small crew of 3-4 personnel, including the driver. Each operation is supervised on the ground by an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) from the local traffic police station, ensuring coordination and enforcement. Deputy commissioner of police (west) Anoop Shetty said they are operating with one towing vehicle in the jurisdictions of two traffic police stations. Shetty added that they are mainly moving away cars and other four-wheelers, since they majorly block other vehicles on the road.On the ground, the strategy is dynamic rather than fixed. In the west division, for instance, a single tow truck moves between multiple jurisdictions — operating in Wilson Garden one day and shifting to Ashok Nagar the next — covering different areas through the week, Shetty said.Another senior traffic police officer said whenever they come across a traffic congestion due to the wrong parking, the nearest towing vehicle will be sent to the place. “Mainly, the wrong parking is seen on main roads of the central business district and at vital junctions on the Outer Ring Road. When it comes to ORR, south-east and south areas in the tech-corridor have more wrong parking,” he said.——–BOXLifting and hauling by trucks Vehicle towing in Bengaluru was officially suspended on Feb 2, 2022, following allegations of irregularities and corruption. It was reintroduced on April 5 this year-Operations are a joint effort between the Bengaluru Traffic Police and GBA, and towing vehicles are equipped with dash cams and geotagging technology-Fine for wrong parking is Rs 500 (any vehicle). Additionally, Rs 650 for two-wheelers and Rs 1,000 for four-wheelers should be paid in towing fees.MSID:: 130852432 413 |
