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LMC to resume towing of illegally parked vehicles soon
Lucknow Municipal Corporation will resume vehicle towing in two weeks to address illegal parking and traffic congestion, aiming for better management.
People in the state capital who park their vehicles on the wrong side of the road, causing traffic congestion and roadblocks, will soon face penalties. The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is preparing to resume towing operations within the next two weeks to curb the problem of illegal parking across the city.
According to sources in the LMC, earlier the corporation had stopped towing vehicles over a year ago after several complaints were received about irregularities in the process. During the tenure of the previous municipal commissioner, tenders related to vehicle towing were cancelled, and the responsibility was handed over to the traffic police.
The source highlighted an example where one such incident that led to the cancellation involved a vehicle being towed in the Hazratganj area while people were still sitting inside. The matter sparked public criticism and prompted the corporation to halt the service.
Recently, corporators raised the issue again during house meetings and internal discussions, demanding that the LMC take back the responsibility of towing. They pointed out that the move would not only streamline parking enforcement but also generate additional revenue for the civic body.
In areas like Hazratganj, Gomtinagar, Indiranagar, Alambagh, and Charbagh, four-wheelers are frequently found parked on no-parking stretches, footpaths, and even on VIP routes. This causes inconvenience to daily commuters and contributes to traffic jams.
To address the issue, the LMC is finalising a list of routes and areas which even includes VIP stretches and markets to be declared no-parking zones. These areas are being selected based on a traffic study and with inputs from the traffic department. The plan includes setting up legal parking spaces to accommodate vehicles and prevent further violations.
Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar confirmed on Friday that tenders for establishing new parking zones have already been floated. “We are in the final stages of planning and have almost completed arrangements with private agencies to deploy towing cranes,” he said. “We expect to begin the drive within the next two weeks.”
Kumar added that eight towing cranes have been arranged to lift vehicles from prohibited areas. “We are also working on setting up proper parking zones across all eight zones of the LMC,” he said.
The LMC is yet to finalise the fine amount and towing charges. Kumar assured that the civic body will announce the rates before launching the enforcement drive.
“We aim to ensure smooth traffic and encourage people to follow parking rules. Our objective is better traffic management, not harassment,” the commissioner added.
