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Only 8 cranes for crackdown on hundreds of violators in Lucknow
Lucknow's illegal parking crisis worsens due to inadequate enforcement and a shortage of towing cranes, impacting traffic and commuter convenience.
Blame it on poor enforcement, but the city’s illegal parking woes continue to choke its roads.
Home to nearly 40 lakh people who, on an average, drive two lakh vehicles on its roads everyday (as per official figures), Lucknow city has but only eight cranes to tow four-wheelers that violate parking rules, officials, who requested anonymity, said. Three of them remain reserved for VIP duties. Similarly, cranes for towing bikes are also less.
The officials, who look after the crane services, said the current fleet could lift only around 100 vehicles, which included both bikes and cars, a day. Enforcement drives were underway in areas such as Gomti Nagar, Hazratganj, Bhootnath, Aminabad and a few other traffic-prone localities, they added.
Deputy commissioner of police (Traffic) Kamlesh Dixit admitted that the shortage of cranes had become a serious hurdle in cracking down on illegal parking. “Lucknow is a large city with heavy traffic volume, but the number of cranes available with us is limited. This is one of the main reasons vehicles continue to remain parked on main roads,” Dixit said. He added that the city needed at least three times the existing number of cranes to effectively ease congestion.
Illegal roadside parking is a major civic challenge, particularly in areas where residential colonies have gradually turned commercial without adequate parking provisions.
The situation has affected commuters, visitors and traders alike, especially during peak hours.
Among the areas where illegal parking is rampant are areas bear the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) office in Gomti Nagar, Regional Passport Office (Gomti Nagar), Lucknow Municipal Corporation office in Lalbagh, Gomti Nagar malls, Vibhuti Khand railway station road stretch, Rumi Gate, Sapru Marg and Chowk.
Meanwhile, several major stretches with chronic traffic congestion remain uncovered. The drive has not yet started on the Faizabad-Kamta stretch and the Telibagh-PGI corridor, both of which witness severe traffic snarls during peak hours. Officials said the lifting drive on these stretches was likely to begin by the end of the month.
An official associated with the crane operation said that the authorities were also reviewing the performance of private agencies responsible for lifting vehicles. “The number of vehicles being picked daily is low. A meeting is likely to be called soon to address this issue,” he said.
Officials also flagged public reluctance as a major concern. Despite the availability of multi-level parking facilities, many motorists choose to park on roads for convenience, undermining enforcement efforts and worsening congestion across the city.
