Mirror Check: Police stations succumb to illegal parking
NAVRANGPURA POLICE STATION; PHOTOS: JIGNESH VORA AND ANCELA JAMINDAR
Thousands of vehicles have been towed away and their owners fined lakhs after the police crackdown on illegal parking started a week ago. Even malls, multiplexes and shopping complexes have been issued notices to provide free parking to visitors. However, the rule does not apply to most police stations of the city. A Mirror Check at 11 police stations across the city reveals that only four of them have two-wheeler parking space while only one has space to park four-wheelers. When Mirror talked to in-charge PIs, most of them expressed helplessness citing the location of their police stations on congested and narrow roads. At most police stations visitors are asked to park outside. Admitting that there was a problem regarding parking at many police stations, commissioner AK Singh said, “Different models are being explored par to solution but right now we are in problem.”
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NAVRANGPURA POLICE STATION
STATUS A guard was seen stopping people from parking within the station premises. He suggested they could park on the roadside opposite the police station. However, the stretch is busy and there is no available parking by the side. The guard said confi -dently that cars would not be towed and that he would be keeping an eye on them.
PI A M PARMAR SAID “We have parking space adjoining the front wall for about fi ve cars, but that is occupied by detained vehicles. The space for about four cars at the back of the building too is occupied.”
Kagdapith Police Station
STATUS The narrow parking space inside the premises has been taken up by the station staff . On normal days, parking on the road outside exceeds the offi cial space allowed and even though there is a ‘no-parking’ sign, people park indiscriminately.
PI S S MODI SAID We do have a parking facility behind the police station, but visitors don’t realise it and park outside. We always ask them to park inside. Even some college kids next door park their vehicles. When it becomes unmanageable, we are forced to ask people to not park on the road.”
Chandkheda Police Station
STATUS It has no parking facility. Space on pavement is occupied by seized vehicles. Other vehicles, both of staff and visitors, are parked on the narrow road.
PI NK RATHWA SAID There is no space available for parking, so we manage traffi c on the road whenever we can to prevent traffi c jams.”
Shahpur Police Station
STATUS People park vehicles on the main road as there is no parking space inside. The narrow lane does not have legal parking.
PI R P GHARSANDIYA SAID We have parking for staff but not for visitors. There is no scope to make space for parking in the already small premises.”
Shaherkotda Police Station
STATUS Though this one is a big police station, the space it has is not enough even for staff to park their vehicles.
PI SM CHAUDHARI SAID We try to keep as many vehicles as we can inside the police station premises, but since it is not on the main road and visitors’ vehicles don’t cause much disturbance to traffi c, we instruct them to park vehicles at a particular spot outside the premises.”
Kalupur Police Station
STATUS The police station is at a corner and there is some space along the pavement. However, it disturbs traffi c movement on the already burdened Relief Road. There are plans to remove the pavement and keep it for parking.
PI RG DESAI SAID The parking is causing a lot of problems, especially since it is a corner. Hence, we have decided to remove the pavement and railings in front of the police station and turn it into single-lane parking space to ease traffi c on the road.”
Ellisbridge Police Station
STATUS There is just a narrow lane for parking which is occupied by staff vehicles. People have to either park on the road or under the bridge outside the police station. A few bikes belonging to the police personnel too are parked there.
PI AS PATEL SAID It’s not feasible to have parking for public as there is no space at all. I have asked our staff not to park under the bridge as we have our own space.”
Anandnagar Police Station
STATUS There is no parking even for two-wheelers. The ground fl oor has a few shops, and the police station is on the fi rst and second fl oor. Visitors have to park on the road. Detained vehicles occupy much of the space that is available.
PI SJ BALOCH refused to comment on the issue at “a short notice” and requested to meet in person. However, when the Mirror reporter visited his police station, he was not available. After that, he was unavailable even on phone.
Office of the Commissioner of Police
STATUS ‘No private vehicle is allowed,’ said the guard at the entry point. He pointed at a spot outside the premises to park the car. Ironically, a white car with ‘police’ written on it was parked right next to the ‘No-parking’ sign. The commissioner’s offi ce has no parking space for cars.
CP AK SINGH SAID We have worked out a plan to free space here. There is some construction activity going on here after which we will shift some of the heavy operational vehicles to an adjoining plot away from our headquarters. Vehicles that we do not require on daily basis will be moved to an off side location and we will free space for visitors’ parking. We have also asked for more space from corporation in an adjoining plot. If there is favorable consideration, we will be able to ease out the space even more.”
Vastrapur Mahila Police Station
STATUS There was ample space for two-wheeler parking and six cars were parked in the premises when this correspondent went there. Out of six, four were police cars. There is little parking space outside the police station premises.
PI SHJADEJA SAID There is enough space for parking. We don’t get many visitors who come in cars. If they do, we have space to park a few cars inside the premises. In case there is no space left, they park it outside on the street.”
Satellite Police Station
STATUS The Mirror reporter’s car could not enter the police station because of auto rickshaws parked there. Two-wheelers were being parked between footpath and police station wall but outside the station premises.
PI KD KHAMBHALA SAID We have enough space for visitors to park their vehicles, in addition to the dedicated space for staff vehicles. We have space for about 10 cars. However, currently that space is occupied by detained vehicles.”
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STATUS A guard was seen stopping people from parking within the station premises. He suggested they could park on the roadside opposite the police station. However, the stretch is busy and there is no available parking by the side. The guard said confi -dently that cars would not be towed and that he would be keeping an eye on them.
PI A M PARMAR SAID “We have parking space adjoining the front wall for about fi ve cars, but that is occupied by detained vehicles. The space for about four cars at the back of the building too is occupied.”
Kagdapith Police Station
STATUS The narrow parking space inside the premises has been taken up by the station staff . On normal days, parking on the road outside exceeds the offi cial space allowed and even though there is a ‘no-parking’ sign, people park indiscriminately.
PI S S MODI SAID We do have a parking facility behind the police station, but visitors don’t realise it and park outside. We always ask them to park inside. Even some college kids next door park their vehicles. When it becomes unmanageable, we are forced to ask people to not park on the road.”
Chandkheda Police Station
STATUS It has no parking facility. Space on pavement is occupied by seized vehicles. Other vehicles, both of staff and visitors, are parked on the narrow road.
PI NK RATHWA SAID There is no space available for parking, so we manage traffi c on the road whenever we can to prevent traffi c jams.”
Shahpur Police Station
STATUS People park vehicles on the main road as there is no parking space inside. The narrow lane does not have legal parking.
PI R P GHARSANDIYA SAID We have parking for staff but not for visitors. There is no scope to make space for parking in the already small premises.”
Shaherkotda Police Station
STATUS Though this one is a big police station, the space it has is not enough even for staff to park their vehicles.
PI SM CHAUDHARI SAID We try to keep as many vehicles as we can inside the police station premises, but since it is not on the main road and visitors’ vehicles don’t cause much disturbance to traffi c, we instruct them to park vehicles at a particular spot outside the premises.”
Kalupur Police Station
STATUS The police station is at a corner and there is some space along the pavement. However, it disturbs traffi c movement on the already burdened Relief Road. There are plans to remove the pavement and keep it for parking.
PI RG DESAI SAID The parking is causing a lot of problems, especially since it is a corner. Hence, we have decided to remove the pavement and railings in front of the police station and turn it into single-lane parking space to ease traffi c on the road.”
Ellisbridge Police Station
STATUS There is just a narrow lane for parking which is occupied by staff vehicles. People have to either park on the road or under the bridge outside the police station. A few bikes belonging to the police personnel too are parked there.
PI AS PATEL SAID It’s not feasible to have parking for public as there is no space at all. I have asked our staff not to park under the bridge as we have our own space.”
Anandnagar Police Station
STATUS There is no parking even for two-wheelers. The ground fl oor has a few shops, and the police station is on the fi rst and second fl oor. Visitors have to park on the road. Detained vehicles occupy much of the space that is available.
PI SJ BALOCH refused to comment on the issue at “a short notice” and requested to meet in person. However, when the Mirror reporter visited his police station, he was not available. After that, he was unavailable even on phone.
Office of the Commissioner of Police
STATUS ‘No private vehicle is allowed,’ said the guard at the entry point. He pointed at a spot outside the premises to park the car. Ironically, a white car with ‘police’ written on it was parked right next to the ‘No-parking’ sign. The commissioner’s offi ce has no parking space for cars.
CP AK SINGH SAID We have worked out a plan to free space here. There is some construction activity going on here after which we will shift some of the heavy operational vehicles to an adjoining plot away from our headquarters. Vehicles that we do not require on daily basis will be moved to an off side location and we will free space for visitors’ parking. We have also asked for more space from corporation in an adjoining plot. If there is favorable consideration, we will be able to ease out the space even more.”
STATUS There was ample space for two-wheeler parking and six cars were parked in the premises when this correspondent went there. Out of six, four were police cars. There is little parking space outside the police station premises.
PI SH
Satellite Police Station
STATUS The Mirror reporter’s car could not enter the police station because of auto rickshaws parked there. Two-wheelers were being parked between footpath and police station wall but outside the station premises.
PI KD KHAMBHALA SAID We have enough space for visitors to park their vehicles, in addition to the dedicated space for staff vehicles. We have space for about 10 cars. However, currently that space is occupied by detained vehicles.”
Most new police stations have space, but a lot of it gets occupied by seized vehicles. We are looking at quick disposal of such vehicles, as the property is entangled in litigation which goes on forever. We do periodic campaigns where courts prioritise these matters. We had initiated a project at state level to come out with structured solution to such problems
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