With fines hiked, cops eager to tow vehicles

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: Days after towing charges were upped by over 300 per cent, complaints are trickling in that overzealous cops are now forcibly taking away vehicles even in the presence of owners, who are ready to fork out spot fines for parking violations.

Recently a video was posted on social media showing a similar incident. The clip shows a man, who seems to be a delivery executive, running behind a towing vehicle apparently requesting them to release his bike.

According to Bengaluru Traffic police, the incident took place in Jeevan Bhima Nagar Police Station limits.

The video clip was heavily trolled by the netizens who criticised the traffic authorities for their irresponsible behaviour towards the public. Commenting on the video, some users shared their own experiences, while others demanded action to be taken against such officials.

Sunil Kumar, who works as a photographer at a studio near Shivajinagar told News Trail, “While one side of the road is closed for development works, people are forced to park their vehicles on the wrong side. Once, my vehicle was towed even after I tried to stop them.”

The towing contractors’ personnel are taking Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant’s order on adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) very lightly. According to the SOPs, the police should alert a vehicle owner before towing their two-wheeler or four-wheeler parked in traffic violation. In case the owner does not respond within a stipulated time, the vehicle will be moved by the towing staff.

Meanwhile after the video clip generated many adverse comments from netizens, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda has ordered a detailed inquiry and a report into the incident. Till then the traffic inspector and the contractor have been withdrawn from their duties.