Vehicles not in designated parking lots to be towed away: Chandigarh MC

Chandigarh Vehicles not in designated parking lots in markets will be towed away and the owners fined, the municipal corporation (MC) has ordered.

“It has been observed that several vehicles are parked in undesignated open spaces such as footpaths or by the roads, which is a big traffic hazard. Therefore, a drive will soon be started to take action,” said MC special commissioner Sanjay Kumar Jha.

The MC has designated parking lots in all markets, with 90 of them being managed by private contractors on a chargeable basis, he added.

The fine for wrong parking in Chandigarh is ₹1,500 for four wheelers and ₹700 for two wheelers.

Logistics to be hired

Sources said that in wake of these orders, the enforcement wing has asked for cranes and clamps to start the driver.

Jha said that he had already asked the branch concerned to hire whatever is required for the drive and provide it to the enforcement wing.

“We will start the drive as soon as these are made available to the enforcement wing,” he said

Jha added that the MC will also seek help from the Chandigarh traffic police. The idea was not to harass the general public, but “we want people to park in the designated lots, whether paid or otherwise”.

“People don’t follow rules even though they don’t have to pay to park in some lots,” he added.

The MC has also issued a public notice for removal of vehicles abandoned in public places. “We have identified 40 such vehicles in different areas and will be removing them soon,” he said.

Traders, residents differ

City traders, however, differ on the matter. Charanjiv Singh, chairman, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said before starting its drive the MC should expedite its proposal to hand over unpaid parking lots to market welfare associations. A majority of such associations were ready to run the lots for free, he claimed.

Residents also complain that some markets do not have adequate parking space. Hitesh Puri, chairman, Chandigarh Residents Associations Welfare Federation, said people were forced to leave their vehicles in undesignated spaces in Sectors 22, 34 and 9, as the designated lots were full.