The Aminjikarai police station has “found” a new parking area for seized vehicles — a place where they will not only gather dust but also eat up road space. It’s the wide carriageway behind the 57-metres high Anna Arch that is now used to dump vehicles seized during the lockdown.
Motorists heading towards Anna Nagar as well as those from the opposite direction heading towards Choolaimedu are allowed to go under the Anna Arch . Even in this case, motorists coming from Anna Nagar were screened at the police checkpoint at Anna Arch for valid documents including e-passes. Motorists with invalid documents and unacceptable reasons are fined and their vehicles seized on the spot. These vehicles are dumped on the portion of the carriageway along the median behind the Anna Arch. On an average, 70-80 vehicles, including two-wheelers, autorickshaws and cars, have been seized at the Anna Arch every day since the intense lockdown began in the city.
“We have paid fines for violating the lockdown rules but we had to surrender our vehicles, so we are worried about the condition of our vehicles, especially about the possibility of their spare parts going missing,” says N. Kumar, a motorist from Kilpauk.
According to the police, the seized vehicles are parked along the median on the carriageway behind the Anna Arch as it is close to the checkpost at the intersection of Anna Arch and PH Road. The presence of police personnel, who work round-the-clock, at the checkpost will deter petty criminals from stealing the seized vehicles. Besides, the seized vehicles can be monitored continuously as police personnel are stationed there round-the-clock. Motorists feel the vast empty space inside the Siddha Central Research Institute, located near the Anna Arch, can be used to keep the seized vehicles before they are returned to the owners.
“Steps will be taken to relocate these vehicles to a much safer place soon,” say police sources .
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College ground turns parking lot
Police stations under the Valsarvakkam, SRM and Royala Nagar limits have been more responsible in keeping such confiscated vehicles. They are kept in the playground of a private engineering college in the neighbourhood of Ramapuram after the police sought permission from the educational institution. On an average, around 70 vehicles mainly two-wheelers were seized by the police from these three police stations every day since June 21.
In fact, as per existing norms, the seized vehicles should be stored within the police station. As most of the police stations have limited open space within their stations, they have been told to make alternative arrangements to keep vehicles in unused public places like playgrounds or private properties like educational institutions and marriage halls.
