All vehicles parked in no-parking areas in the city would be towed away by the police and the violations would attract a penalty of Rs.150 from Wednesday, Police Commissioner Karuna Sagar has announced.
Two-wheelers would be taken away by the traffic police in a truck and deposited in the nearest police station. Owners would have to produce the vehicle documents and pay the fine (Rs.50 for the violation and Rs.100 towards the cost of transportation) to get the vehicles back.
Other vehicles, including cars and lorries, would be immobilised using specially acquired clamps, Mr. Sagar told reporters here on Wednesday. The police have acquired 10 clamps.
Answering a query, he clarified that all places which are not notified as parking areas would be treated as no-parking zones. The police would also put up sign boards wherever necessary.
Mr. Sagar assured city residents that there would be a marked improvement in the traffic management in the coming days.
“We are planning to install more traffic signals, carry out improvements in traffic intersections, install new traffic umbrellas and revive the traffic/security cameras which were in operation some time back in the city,” he said.
He pointed out he has already held a meeting with bus operators and the decisions taken at the meeting would be strictly enforced.
Crackdown
“We had given them a week to comply with the decisions. We will now crack down on rash driving, footboard travel and ensure seats meant for women were not occupied by men,” he said. Buses would also be required to halt in specified parking areas in an orderly manner.
“I have also requested the Regional Transport Officer to revise the travel duration fixed for buses, from one point to another. For, the timings were fixed about 40 years back. This often results in the bus crew driving at higher speeds. It needs to be revised taking into account the current traffic situation,” he said.
Mr. Sagar also disclosed that the police, from Wednesday, would enforce a ‘school safety zone’ programme under which special police teams would be deployed in and around 13 schools to regulate traffic flow.
The Campion Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, St. James HSS, St. Anne’s HSS, St. Joseph’s Anglo Indian HSS, Holy Cross Girls HSS, Bishop Heber HSS, Periyar Maniammai HSS, Mahatma Gandhi HSS, K. A. P. Viswanatham HSS, Savithri Vidyasala HSS, National HSS, E. R.HSS and the SBIOA HSS have been covered under the programme. Teams led by an officer in the rank of a Reserve Sub Inspector would be deployed in front of these schools. He regretted that the management of the Campion AI HSS had not evinced interest in implementing the police suggestion to open its rear entrance.
