Chennai: Cops clear vehicles parked illegally along GST Road – Times of India

CHENNAI: The traffic police have begun a drive to clear commercial establishments including hotels and textile showrooms along GST Road of illegally parked vehicles that are causing congestion.
The Tambaram traffic enforcement wing has booked 2,116 obstruction cases against motorists and registered 1,124 cases of illegal parking this year. It collected 2,11,600 as fine in obstruction cases and 1,12,400 for illegal parking.
Police swung into action after a PIL was filed in the Madras high court stating that illegally parked vehicles along the busy stretch was causing severe congestion and inconveniencing the general public.
Soon after this, special squads were formed to check the situation on the stretch from Tambaram to Tiruneermalai. Police trucks were stationed near commercial establishments and immediate action was taken against those found to be illegally parked. While bikes were towed away, the wheels of cars were locked and released only after the owner approached police and paid the fine. “We have installed ‘no parking’ boards every 100 metres. Despite this, if people park their vehicles they are seized,” said a traffic officer.
V Santhanam, a social activist from Chromepet, said it was the duty of the owners of commercial establishments to provide adequate parking facilities to their customers. “They just build multi-storied buildings without considering the plight of the customers. Some of them park their vehicles in a way that is easy for them to take out soon but fail to realize that it is shrinking the carriageway,” he said. “This enforcement should be carried out on a permanent and regular basis,” said the social activist. Parthasarathy, a resident of Tambaram, said that he had notice a lot of change on GST Road, particularly outside commercial establishments, compared to last month. “Now the traffic flow has improved. Hope this action will continue,” he said.
Sources in the Tambaram municipality said notices would be issued to erring commercial establishments and renewal of licences reconsidered in the event of repeated violations.