Noida traffic police to use wheel clamps to check parking at unauthorised places

To check the parking of vehicles at unauthorised places, the Noida traffic police have started using wheel locks. Wheel clamps, specially designed to prevent vehicles’ movement, bearing a traffic helpline number will be used.

The move has both a positive and negative consequence—violators will not have to pay towing charges for violations, but they may have to wait for hours to get their vehicle unlocked.

Noida traffic police said the move is important as they have fined 20,049 violators for unauthorised parking as well as towed away 1,864 vehicles between January and May this year. An unauthorised parking violation draws a fine of ₹500, and towing charges of ₹400 for a four-wheeler and ₹200 for a two-wheeler.

Anil Kumar Jha, superintendent of police (traffic), Gautam Budh Nagar, said that wheel clamps aim to discipline such violators. He said that till recently the traffic police towed away vehicles parked at unauthorised places to the Botanic Garden parking area. “But the Noida authority is nearing completion of the Botanic Garden parking facility and it will open soon. The parking space for towed away vehicles has been closed. Now, the traffic police have to tow away these vehicles to the Sector 62 parking lot, which is far away,” he said.

Jha said the traffic police have used wheel clamps to fine traffic violators in the past as well. “We own 100 old wheel clamps already, but they need repair. The UP police headquarters issued new 20 wheel clamps to the Noida police recently. We will get 100 new wheel clamps soon. We will also use the existing wheel clamps after repair,” he said.

On Tuesday, the traffic police conducted a trial and fined some violators. Jha said that wheel clamps would facilitate traffic enforcement. “The traffic police will visit different places and use wheel clamps, bearing stickers with a helpline number. The violators/car users need to contact the number and find out the traffic official concerned to get the vehicle unlocked,” he said.

Jha admitted that this would cause inconvenience to vehicle owners but would be worth it. “The traffic police may have left the spot after locking the vehicle. It is also possible that the police will be available in the evening and the violators will have to wait till then. But that is how the violators will be disciplined,” Jha said.

Rajesh Kumar, a vehicle owner who had come to pay a traffic fine at the Noida traffic police headquarters in Sector 14A on Wednesday, said that the traffic police should first put up proper signboards and banners informing people about unauthorised and authorised parking lots. “Most people do not know about authorised parking lots in the area. This leads to unauthorised parking in the city,” he said.

First Published: Jun 27, 2019 11:56 IST