Park recklessly, and be tiger's prey

Park recklessly, and be tiger's prey



Preeti pai, Jayanagar
Under what conditions can a vehicle be towed away?
Vehicles, both two-wheelers and four-wheelers, are liable to be towed away if they are parked in no-parking zones across the city, or indifferently parked in a manner that obstructs the traffic flow on the roads. Vehicles that are abandoned or left unattended may also find themselves in the police station compound.

vivek mittal, Peenya
Can the traffic police tow away vehicles, even if there is not a single no-parking signboard in sight?
The public should understand that parking zones can exist only beyond a distance of 100 metres on either side of a non-parking zone. It is not possible for us to put up signboards or no-parking notices everywhere. Each no-parking board indicates that vehicles cannot be parked on roughly 100 metres from each of its sides. The public is expected to follow rules enforced through such signboards. If a person cannot understand this much, he should not take his vehicle onto the roads.

pavan kumar, Nandini Layout
Where can I find my vehicle if it gets towed away from a particular area by the traffic police?
When a vehicle gets towed, it will be taken to the jurisdictional police station or a designated parking place for vehicles that have been taken away. Such spaces are created when the area, where the offence has been committed, happens to be located at a considerable distance from the nearest police station. If the motorist concerned is unaware of the location of the jurisdictional police station, he may ask the locals — shopkeepers are especially knowledgeable in this regard — for directions. They may even call the control room at 080-22943030 / 3131 and ask for directions to the jurisdictional police station. Once they reach there, they can approach the police inspector or sub-inspector with the fine money and take their vehicles home. As each tiger picks up at least 20 vehicles before depositing them at the police station, the person may have to wait for some time to get his vehicle back.
Rijin v, Jalahalli
Among policemen, who is authorised to tow vehicles away?
Any traffic police officer above the rank of an assistant sub-inspector is authorised to tow vehicles away.
The towing vehicles, called 'tigers', are hired by the traffic police to take
away vehicles that are found in no-parking zones. And no, we cannot use hi-tech towing vehicles as they are too expensive. Right now, we are trying to make the best of what we have.
gayathri ranganath, Nagarbhavi
What is the fine for violating the no-parking rule?
The basic fine for violating the no-parking rule is Rs 100. However, violators may have to pay Rs200 extra — out of which Rs100 would go to the private parties in charge of towing vehicles. The traffic offender will receive two receipts — one from the Blackberry mobile phone in the possession of the police and the other from the receipt book.

suma krishnamurthy, Koramangala
Many vehicles get damaged while they are being towed away. What can be done in such a situation?
We do everything in our power to avoid damaging vehicles. However, even if it does happen, we are not to be blamed because we are only doing our duty by towing away vehicles belonging to rule violators. Besides, it is not very easy to tow vehicles away. Motorists can always claim insurance for any damages caused in the process. However, if a person's vehicle is not insured, he has to get it repaired at his own expense.

Ajay Nair, Indiranagar
What is the most common excuse you get from rule violators?
Mostly, people say that they had stopped "just for a minute" to visit a nearby place. We have even come across motorists who claimed that they parked their vehicles in no-parking zones because they couldn't find a suitable parking area. However, motorists should understand that the police's job is to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, not assist them with parking.