Often people will double or even triple-park and leave their chauffeur in the car so they don’t get ticketed or towed.

BHPian Mustang Sammy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Last year, my car was clamped on Juhu Tara Road for being in a “No Parking” zone when the closest sign to this effect was more than 100 meters further away, with no way for anyone to know about this regulation. Upon confronting the traffic policeman, the pat response was that the entire road was a no-parking zone.

One year later, “No Parking” signs are more ubiquitous on the road than a politician's birthday greetings, but enforcement is a big fat ZERO.

Not to mention the inherent lack of logic in banning parking on the leftmost lane of a road when:

• The lane is undrivable for the most part, with trees, bends and sundry other barriers to the flow of traffic
• Lack of alternate parking

And this while cars, trucks, water tankers and buses merrily park on narrow roads all over the city, blocking traffic and creating hazards.

Often people will double or even triple-park and leave their chauffeur in the car so they don’t get ticketed or towed.

The situation is no better in Pune and other large metros.

Here's what BHPian deathwalkr had to say about the matter:

Stopped looking for logic behind many such cases on the roads. There are many stretches here as well with No Parking or No Stopping signages and people happily park there for the entire day.

Randomly traffic cops on bikes pull over and start challaning everyone parked there.

I just keep telling myself parking areas in the city are not based on my convenience.

Here's what BHPian Rodie09 had to say about the matter:

In Baner locality in Pune where I live, there is an arterial road of about 5 kms and the entire stretch has been marked by the corporation as a no-parking zone. The locality has been so developed that all major establishments are on this road and it's quite a hub for businesses. One must note that this is a 4-lane cement road with one dedicated lane built for parking on each side and then a very wide Smart City footpath which is usually encroached by multiple things/people. One would wonder if one cannot park their car on such a planned road where else can they? It can be understood if the measure was in anticipation of metro work that will run through this road. However, there is a good 2 km stretch that doesn't have any metro work.

Then what's the logic of this inconvenience?

Pune doesn't have great public transportation and most people depend on private vehicles. It's not simple to get a cab or auto for short distances. How are people supposed to go to markets, banks, and doctors without any access to parking in the full 5 kms. There are no dedicated parking lots either.

Last but not the least, the implementation of the no parking is so sketchy that it's left to luck. People with connections and muscle power continue to park all the time and ordinary people who fear the fines have to suffer alone. Very sorry state of affairs.

Here's what BHPian Vkap257 had to say about the matter:

Many places in Delhi NCR also face this problem. However, I have observed that the MCD here actually does the smart thing and employs an agency which makes the whole roadside parking stretch as a paid parking zone. This deters many people from parking as they have to pay for it or if someone is willing to pay then he gets a proper parking spot which does not hamper traffic (to an extent).

Here's what BHPian tilt had to say about the matter:

If memory serves, Bangalore's top-cop had made an announcement that every street in Bangalore is by default a no-parking zone unless explicitly indicated with signs that parking is permitted.

So, there need be zero no-parking signs and yet one could be ticketed (or worse) for parking.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

This was not the first time i saw a traffic police capturing the moving vehicles with a cell phone camera. I want to know how it works.

BHPian mreccentric recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I had been on a small outing with a friend on this Sunday. I saw something which was familiar to people across Bengaluru. The traffic constable was standing by the side of the road without any attentiveness.

Over a few seconds, as a two wheeler vehicle with it's passengers riding without a helmet passed by, he caught it through his mobile phone or cell phone. I don't know how it worked, but it seems to be used for sending violations and fines report.

This was not the first time i saw a traffic police capturing the moving vehicles with a cell phone camera. I want to know how it works. How he take a proper notice of fast moving vehicles on a cell phone camera? Do they a use an proprietary app for this purpose, or just a normal camera app?

Aren't there CCTV cameras across the major junctions (in every city), which catch such instances and deliver reports automatically (i have heard something like this in Bengaluru)? Will the information captured on the cops cell phone camera be counted as a violation?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

If done right, it's the ultimate example of efficiency.

In our area, there are no more tow trucks. Traffic Police merely come & take pictures of cars in no-parking zones. When the car owner sees his online challan with proof of wrong parking, you can bet it won't happen again.

No tow truck is a win-win. No damage to the vehicle for us car owners.

Here's what BHPian deathwalkr had to say on the matter:

I would assume cops take pic to note down the license plate number. Come the evening they would start writing challans referring the pics.

As for cameras, they are there but pretty sure not all of them would be working.

Besides, cops have their targets to meet

Here's what BHPian wingrider had to say on the matter:

This is not new. Kerala mvd has been doing this for a long time. My cousin got fined for riding with a pillion who wasn't wearing a helmet. The photo was clearly taken by a cellphone since it was taken from ground level and uploaded to their online portal. I got fined for parking in an unmarked "no parking" zone  .The chap selling snacks nearby told me about two policemen on a motorcycle who were taking videos of the vehicles parked. He told me this was a daily occurrence and loads of people were getting fined. Few weeks later saw a report in the newspaper regarding this and the very next day the authorities painted a no parking sign on the road and put up a no parking sign.

Here's what BHPian mayankk had to say on the matter:

Have seen this in Noida and Delhi too, for more than 3-4 years now.

One lone cop would be standing idly by, and as soon as the lights turn red, he'd take a stroll across the road, clicking pictures of all cars/vehicles beyond the stopping mark.

Challan comes in by evening. Been there, got that done to me.

Here's what BHPian ninjatalli had to say on the matter:

I have seen this in person at main junctions in CBD area in Bangalore (e.g. Dickenson road - MG road junction). The cop stands at the corner like he's checking something on his phone. Waits for the signal to turn red and eventually there'll be a few who cross over the white line. He then coolly walks across in front of them while clicking pics of the scooters/4-wheelers over the white line and goes and stands at the other side of the road for the next signal change. A few realize what he's doing and try to wiggle backwards but it's generally futile as the traffic is built up for several meters behind them with no space to go.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

This is so common in Bangalore that no pedestrian would bat an eye if there's a car blocking their way on a footpath, and one would submissively get on the road to continue their journey, exposing them to dangerous drivers from both sides on a one way road.

stealthcraft22 recently shared this with other BHPians.

Today I went out to run an errand in the neighborhood and while driving, noticed a very familiar sight - cars parked on the footpath. This place is just over 500 meters from the station. There's a bank, salon, liquor store, café and a gym in this building and the parking space offered is barely enough for 3-4 cars, while there are several dozens of people visiting at any point of time.

This is so common in Bangalore that no pedestrian would bat an eye if there's a car blocking their way on a footpath, and one would submissively get on the road to continue their journey, exposing them to dangerous drivers from both sides on a one way road. Apart from the lack of law enforcement, it is also due to the lack of common/civic sense of the vehicle owners and the apathy of everyone else that this menace is so rampant in this city.

So, I stopped a little ahead of this scene and decided I should do something about it. I called the HSR Traffic Police station and explained the problem to them. Perhaps in some other country, the police would have shown up within 2-5 minutes, given the distance from the spot. I still gave them a buffer of 20 minutes. However, the official who answered the phone asked me to note down the numbers and send it to him so that he can book a case against the offenders. BUT - that doesn't solve the problem of several cars on the footpath. So I had to explain it to him. Thankfully he understood and said that a towing vehicle will be on its way shortly.

Well, long story short - I made several calls to the station as well as the in-charge of the towing vehicle, and only after threatening them with going to the L&O Police to file a complaint against them for not performing their duty, the towing vehicle showed up after a good 60 minutes. I was standing in the sun this whole time.

Once they started locking their wheels, some vehicle owners came out to plead with the police to let them go, but I ensured they locked wheels of all the offending vehicles. Police scooted off after locking the wheels, leaving the vehicles as they were.

Although they did penalize the vehicle owners in some way, the fact still remains that those vehicles were still ON the footpath when they were locked, and will now remain there longer than what they would have otherwise been. Now, as a law-enforcer, isn't this something which they should take care of? Or am I asking too much?

Anyway, the lesson I learnt was to not give up, and have faith in the system. Persistence is key.

Thanks to stealthcraft22 once again! Check out BHPian comments for more insights & information.

According to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an Indian car is parked for over 95% of the time and is driven for less than 5%. The survey was done over a year-long period. On average, a car spends 8,360 hours standing and is only driven for 400 hours in a year.

The study also highlighted a high waste of land usage due to extremely high demand for parking in urban areas. It has been estimated that the annual demand for additional parking spaces can be equivalent to as much as 471 football fields in Delhi, 100 in Chennai, 58 in Chandigarh, and 179 in Gurgaon. Further, cars or 2-wheelers amount to 85% of parking space usage but provide for only 4-15% of travel demand. In contrast, buses account for 4-5% of parking but carry 20 times more passengers than cars.

Parking charges are also one of the reasons why car ownership could get difficult. Across the world, India has one of the cheapest parking rates. Increasing parking rates could deter users from buying more cars, according the the CSE. A parking space utilises space equivalent to a low cost home for the economically weak. This results in lower taxes as well as takes away land for community infrastructure such as schools, healthcare centres, old age home, etc.

One of the solutions for parking is the parking area management plan (PAMP). Some of the ways PAMP can help is by careful planning, surveying of local needs, differential parking rates for prime and farther areas, high penalty for illegal parking, selling of parking spaces separately to make users aware of real cost of parking, promoting sharing of parking facilities, demarcation of emergency lanes in each direction on roads, promotion of public transport and more. 

According to a media report, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to penalize those violating 'No Parking' zones in the city and causing inconvenience to other motorists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles. The fines are said to range from Rs. 1,000-10,000. Vehicles of repeat offenders will be towed away. The new rule will be implemented from July 7, 2019.

The fines will be collected through e-challans and the fine amount will vary depending on the vehicle size and its location. The owners will be fined under Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act's sections 314 and 381 for encroachment and nuisance respectively.

The rule will be implemented wherever there is a pay-and-park facility available within 1 km and on arterial roads. BMC reportedly has 146 pay-and-park lots in various parts of the city where around 30,000 cars and 4,000 bikes can be parked.

The BMC has also asked ward officials to appoint contractors to implement the rule in their respective areas. The contractors must also have a former military person in their staff. At present, the BMC does not fine motorists for illegal parking. That is handled by the traffic police. 

Source: Times of India

Nitin Gadkari – the minister for road transport and highways has come up with a scheme in an attempt to curb illegal parking. He has asked citizens to take pictures of illegally parked vehicles and send them to the concerned authorities following which, they will be rewarded.

He has proposed that 10% of Rs. 500 collected from the owner as a fine will be awarded to the person who sent the picture. A provision for the same will be made in the Motor Vehicle Act.

The minister also said that he was ashamed that officials from his own ministry were forced to park their vehicles on the road due to the lack of proper parking spaces. He believes that all large institutions should have their own parking space.

While getting paid for clicking pictures of illegally parked vehicles may sound like a good idea, it is not likely to solve the parking issues faced by citizens on a daily basis.

Source: TOI