Beware those parking in unauthorized places. The traffic police will soon introduce wheel-clamping in a bid to curtail parking violations in the city.
“We have already begun to use the wheel clamp on an experimental basis on a few arterial roads. Shortly the device will be extensively used throughout the city, ” C. Sivaprasad, Circle Inspector (Traffic), Kozhikode city, told The Hindu here on Monday.
Vehicles mainly four-wheelers parked in no-parking zones will be locked with the wheel clamp. A sticker would be pasted on the vehicle giving the contact details of the City Police. “A fine of Rs. 600 will be charged for releasing the vehicle, ” he said.
Usually the clamp surrounding the vehicle cannot be tampered with. Neither can the offender use a bolt cutter to go scot-free without paying fine as the act would attract the attention of the public. Besides, the police will also charge the offender with provisions such as obstructing a public servant in discharge of public function in addition to recovering the amount for the damaged device.
He said that the traffic department had been compelled to introduce wheel-clamping following complaints from the public regarding blocking of roads and encroachment of footpaths. The fresh crackdown on illegal parking will also put an end to grievances from owners that their vehicles had been damaged while towing by a recovery van.
Mr. Sivaprasad said that on-road parking by four -wheelers had been rampant in the city.
Some offenders park vehicles from morning till evening at a particular location leading to accidents.
The police had identified several places such as Melapalayam, Oyitty Road, Arayadathupalam, Govindapuram and Mavoor Road where vehicles are illegally parked.
As of now the department had procured 10 devices from a Bangalore-based company. It is priced Rs. 2,800 a piece. “We have got sponsors for the pilot project. More equipment will be purchased with the sanction from the State government, ” he said.
