Bhubaneswar: To streamline traffic enforcement, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday handed over towing services to the city police, ending months of confusion caused by involvement of multiple agencies.Commissionerate police will be the sole authority to tow vehicles violating traffic norms, ensuring smoother recovery for vehicle owners.Earlier, Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited, BMC, and city police were simultaneously engaged in towing operations, making it tough for citizens to locate their vehicles. “It was very confusing to locate towed vehicles as three agencies were involved. Vehicle owners faced trouble in getting their vehicles released, and we were unable to help since responsibilities were divided. Now, the towing service has been handed over to city police, and it will be entirely their responsibility to enforce parking rules and tow violators,” said BMC additional commissioner Kailash Chandra Dash.BMC in its letter to DCP, Bhubaneswar, said to strengthen traffic decongestion and improve enforcement, BMC has engaged a credible and experienced agency for towing illegally parked and abandoned vehicles. “All towing vehicles, equipment, and operating teams of the agency have now been placed under the operational control of commissionerate police for regular use in municipal areas,” the letter read.Under the arrangement, towing charges decided by BMC will continue to be collected by the agency and administered under the existing agreement. The agency has been instructed to work under the directions of city police henceforth. Towed vehicles will be parked at depots designated by the police, though BMC-designated spaces may also be used when required.BMC has clarified that while the city police will oversee day-to-day towing operations, the corporation reserves the right to requisition towing services for public purposes, including removal of obstructions under relevant municipal laws.Officials believe the unified system will not only reduce citizen grievances but also ensure better traffic discipline across Bhubaneswar. The move is expected to ease congestion in busy municipal areas and provide a more transparent and accountable mechanism for vehicle towing.
