Around 279 roadside vehicles removed in safety drive

Gurugram traffic police removed 279 abandoned vehicles since April to enhance road safety, addressing accident risks on busy highways.

Gurugram traffic police have removed around 279 broken-down or abandoned vehicles from busy corridors and highways since April 1 to ease vehicular movement and reduce accident risks, officials said on Thursday.

Of these, around 31 vehicles recovered in May were found abandoned for over a year, they added. (HT)

Of these, around 31 vehicles recovered in May were found abandoned for over a year, they added.

The action comes amid rising concerns from motorists about accidents due to unattended vehicles on highways and service lanes.

Officials said most recovered vehicles included four-wheelers, particularly cars, along with two-wheelers and one truck. Around 248 vehicles were removed from the Delhi-Gurugram (NH 48) expressway and ten from the Gurugram-Faridabad highway and its service lanes, under a dedicated drive launched in April.

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Prateek Gehlot said traffic inspectors and (traffic) SHOs of East, West and Highways zones were directed to identify carriageway obstructions. “Hotspots with abandoned vehicles causing rear-end collisions and hasty lane violations were identified. Zonal officers ensured quick removal to reduce bottlenecks near intersections and sector-link roads,” Gehlot added.

Hotspots identified included Badshahpur localities along the Sohna elevated corridor, NH-48 expressway access roads in Sector 30, Gurugram-Faridabad highway, Kanhai and Z-Chowks and old city stretches in the West zone. “Owners of accidental or stolen cars recovered near Z-chowk and New Town Heights in Sector 86 are being traced. Recovered vehicles have been taken to area police stations,” a senior official said, requesting anonymity.

Officials said identified owners were warned not to repeat the offence. Traffic police are planning to step up patrolling in identified areas and near metro stations to prevent further abandonment of vehicles.

Two Hydras and fourteen other cranes have been deployed on carriageways to remove such vehicles. Police issued 49,600 wrongful parking challans between January and April, amounting to ₹ 2.48 crore in fines, and towed another 2,450 vehicles from key city intersections since April.

“Residents can report any suspicious or abandoned vehicle seen in their vicinity by dialling 112 or another helpline number (1095) for timely assistance,” Gehlot added.