3,000 abandoned vehicles clutter city roads: Pune Traffic Branch

Pedestrians, commuters, and the city traffic police are facing adversities with at least 3,000 abandoned vehicles cluttering different nooks, crannies, and roads of the city.

According to the traffic branch, the abandoned vehicles obstruct traffic flow and create security issues on public roads. Citizens are of the view that it is essential to take strong and timely action through the special drives in decluttering the city roads.

Some areas dotted with abandoned cars include Pune Camp, peth areas, Aundh, Baner, Pashan, Kondhwa, Mohammadwadi, Undri, Bibvewadi, Hadapsar, Sahakarnagar, Yerawada, Kalyani Nagar, Kharadi, and other far-flung suburbs of the city, according to civil society members.

DCP (Traffic) Rahul Srirame said, “The issue of abandoned vehicles is very serious, and we are taking sustainable action against these vehicles. The drive will intensify further. However, the PMC anti encroachment squad is also entitled to take action in this regard.”

“It is the duty of police and PMC to declutter the road for a free flow of traffic. The current situation is like garaging of the roads and these vehicles must be towed away and heavy penalties must be recovered from the violators as they are obstructing free flow of traffic causing inconvenience to the citizens,” said RTI activist Vivek Velankar.

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Earlier, the state government in its government resolution (GR) had directed the municipal commissioners to take effective steps to remove the abandoned vehicles through special drives and appoint a dedicated officer of the rank of the deputy municipal commissioner to implement the decluttering initiative.

The GR states, “Municipal corporations have been directed to undertake a special one-month drive to remove abandoned vehicles from the street. The action should be taken in coordination with local police and traffic departments.”

It further stated that the civic bodies can act against abandoned vehicles that obstruct traffic flow and create security issues on public roads. Most civic bodies in the state face this issue, so it is necessary to take time-bound action through the special drive.

The control of traffic rule stipulated that “the owner of the motor vehicle or his heirs or assigners shall be liable to make any reasonable expense incurred by any police officer in connection with moving, lighting, watching, or removal of a vehicle or its contents in accordance with sub-rule (1) and (2) and any police officer, or any person into whose custody the vehicle has been entrusted by any police officer, shall be 12 entitled to detain the vehicle until he has received payment accordingly.”

Traffic rule further states, “If the vehicle has been stationary in one place for a continuous period of 10 hours and adequate steps have not been taken for its repairs or removal by the owner or his representative, remove the vehicle and its contents to the nearest place of safe custody.”

When a motor vehicle has been stationary in a duly appointed parking place for a period exceeding that specified by an authority competent in this behalf, in respect of the said place or, if no such periods has been specified, for a period exceeding six hours, any police officer may remove the vehicle in the nearest place of safe custody, the rules states.

Box

Chapter VIII, Control of traffic, Rule 222 Vehicle abandoned on road states-

If any motor vehicle is allowed to stand in any place, other than a duly appointed parking place, in such a way as to cause obstruction to traffic or danger to any person, any police officer, or an officer of the motor vehicle department not below the rank of assistant inspector of motor vehicles may forthwith cause the vehicle to be moved to the nearest place where the vehicle shall not cause undue obstruction to traffic or danger;

Unless the vehicle is moved to a position where it shall not cause obstruction or danger, take all reasonable precautions to indicated the presence of the vehicle; detain the vehicle if parked in no parking zone, by applying wheel clamps in order to initiate legal proceedings