BENGALURU: With narrow roads and no space being earmarked for parking in many neighbourhoods, city traffic police are registering, on an average, one lakh illegal parking cases a month.
According to police statistics, of the over 47.12 lakh traffic violation cases registered from January to November this year, more than 11.36 lakh are for illegal parking. While car users are the biggest offenders, with 2.69 lakh cases, autorickshaw drivers are not far behind with 2.55 lakh cases. There are 7,466 cases against the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses.
BMTC General Manager (Traffic) Veeregowda told City Express city parking space is at a premium as the number of vehicles keeps increasing. "With little space left, autorickshaws and other vehicles are parking everywhere, leaving no space for BMTC buses. This could be the reason so many cases are booked against BMTC bus drivers," he said. He added that the corporation had issued circulars to drivers to park only at the designated areas.
'Need more auto stands'
Adarsha Autorickshaw Drivers' Union president M Manjunath said the parking slots provided for autos were just not enough.
"For instance, there is only one auto stand all the way from Trinity Circle to Anil Kumble Circle," he said. He also claimed that often, false cases are registered when auto drivers stop their vehicle to drop commuters.
Traffic expert Prof M N Sreehari said most drivers are undisciplined and irresponsible and don't even realise the problems they are causing. For instance, car drivers wait for their acquaintances in no-parking zones or stop to receive calls. He also said the city lacks adequate parking spaces, especially given the growing number of vehicles.
Urban infrastructure expert Ravi Chander said both public and private transit drivers lack respect for the law. Laws should be enforced strictly and enough parking space allotted for all vehicles, he added.