No place to park, yet cops on challan spree

​Hyderabad: Of late, the Traffic police issuing challans for parking violations has irked citizens who argue that without any parking spaces available, the police should not charge penalties. Citizens cry foul over the penalties collected by the traffic police particularly the violation in the name of ‘parking on the service roads’. Both the motorists and the shopkeepers argue that without providing parking facilities the police should not issue challans to the motorists.

Citizens criticise that the problem of parking is one thing but dealing with Hyderabad Traffic Police is different thing. The problem for the motorists increased after the traffic police were given a camera. The citizens allege that the police do not use common sense and indiscriminately click photos and send e-challans stating that the violation is ‘parking on the service road.’

According to officials, during the period from January to May 2018, the traffic police have issued a whopping 67, 500 challans pertaining to parking on a service road. Several of the individuals had even argued with the police officials and it was evident on the Facebook page of the city Traffic Police.

However, the authorities instead of correcting the mistake had suggested them to write to concerned police station. The traffic police on its Facebook page wrote, “If you feel you have been wrongly issued the challan, you can write to the concerned PS or utilise your democratic right to fight it out. You do not have to meekly pay the fine.”

One of the motorists from Mallepally Wajahat A Khan alleged that the traffic police was making a merry raking in the moolah without creating parking spaces. “They have systematically created number of reasons by feeding in the e-challan website like wrong parking in the carriage way, parking on service roads, no parking at commercial centres and etc to fool the public,” said Wajahat Khan.

He said that the car users were taking the brunt of this typical strange mindset of the traffic police personnel. The constables are going around taking photos in a brazen manner and the officials are simply issuing challans without verifying.

K Sandeep, a self-employed youth said that he had parked his vehicle in front of a hotel opposite to Passport office. “I had parked just in front of the hotel and had lunch but in the meantime the traffic police clicked the picture and I got a message of traffic violation for parking on a service road. There is no traffic at all on that road,” Sandeep said.

Chalourmi Mukherjee‎, an employee of a banking firm said that she had to go to fish market at Zamisthanpur. “There is broken road of 10 ft and there is no ‘no parking’ board and the traffic police issue a challan stating that I have parked on the service road. What is the service road when there is a broken and bad road? Every time I shop there you issue a challan giving a name like parking on service road,” said an aggrieved Mukherjee.

Sridhar Vuyyuru‎, who recently had come for a business meeting at a hotel in Chirag Ali lane, had to pay challan for parking on service road. He said that he had given his car to the driver for valet parking and the hotel staff had parked his car outside the hotel. “I am made to pay for a violation, which I have not done. I am paying the penalty with a protest,” said Sridhar.

A shop owner Sree Goud said that they were not even allowed to park their own vehicles in front of their shop even though there is no traffic on the road. Another shop owner Rameshwar (name changed) at Begum Bazaar said that because of the indiscriminate challans, the customers are turning away. “We caution the customers that the traffic police will issue challan and they just move out without coming into our shop,” said Rameshwar.

The motorists said that the traffic police should use logic before issuing challan and concentrate on providing the parking facilities.