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With no towing vehicles, city traffic cops struggle to act against illegal parking
Pune's traffic police struggle to manage illegal parking due to a lack of towing vehicles after the contract expired in November 2025, worsening congestion.
Pune: City traffic police are facing serious challenges in enforcing action against illegally parked vehicles across the city due to the absence of towing vehicles, following the expiry of the towing contract in November 2025. With the contract yet to be renewed, the department has been left without a key enforcement mechanism, severely affecting its ability to clear no-parking zones and ease traffic congestion, especially during peak hours and major public movements.
After the contract came to an end in November and by the time the process for renewal was started, the code of conduct for the civic elections came into force, leaving the department in the lurch, without any towing vehicle.
The situation has become more critical in recent weeks due to the continuous VIP movements in the city for election campaigning. Frequent visits by ministers and senior political leaders have led to repeated traffic diversions and the need for quick clearance of roads.
However, without towing vehicles, traffic police personnel are often left helpless when vehicles and two-wheelers are found illegally parked on key routes, narrowing carriageways and disrupting the smooth flow of traffic.
Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Himmat Jadhav confirmed the problem: “We are facing a serious issue as the towing vehicle contract ended in November 2025 and has not been renewed yet. At present, we do not have towing vehicles to remove illegally parked cars and two-wheelers. This becomes a major challenge, especially during VIP movements that are currently happening across the city due to the PMC elections.”
Jadhav explained that illegal parking significantly worsens traffic congestion during peak hours. “During morning and evening rush hours, many vehicles are parked in no-parking zones, on main roads, and at junctions, which causes bottlenecks and traffic jams. Normally, towing helps us to take immediate action and clear the road, but in the absence of towing vehicles, we can only issue challans or request vehicle owners to remove their vehicles, which is not always effective,” he said, adding that managing traffic during VIP convoys without towing support increases pressure on manpower and delays normal traffic movement.
Citizens are also impacted by this unusual situation. Anil Kumbhar, a daily commuter on a busy road, said illegal parking has made city travel increasingly frustrating. “Every day, we see cars and two-wheelers parked in no-parking zones, especially near busy chowks and markets. Traffic police try their best, but without towing vehicles, nothing changes. We end up getting stuck in traffic for long periods, and during VIP movements, the situation becomes even worse,” he said.
