Wrong parking: MC in challan overdrive

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 12

Going overboard, Municipal Corporation officials today challaned as many as 45 cars and nine bikes parked in areas other than paid-parking lots in Sector 34 here and charged a fine of Rs 3,500 and Rs 1,500, respectively.

Agitated over the corporation’s first-of-its-kind drive of towing away vehicles parked even in the open ground area, motorists held a protest at the community centre in Sector 35 where some of the impounded vehicles were taken. Later, they formed a human chain and blocked traffic on the road separating Sectors 34 and 35.

“The Rs 3,500 fine is exorbitant and annoying,” said a woman protester.

“I come to my office in Sector 34 daily and we have been parking cars in the open area on the rear side of the building. There is no display board to inform that parking is prohibited at the site. Vehicles parked there were never challaned before. Even no warning was issued in this regard,” said Mandeep, who managed to remove his vehicle after the announcement.

Criticising the move, city Congress president Pardeep Chhabra said, “An announcement about such a major drive should have been publicised. Moreover, the authorities should first regulate parking lots in the area before going ahead with penalising people.”

Ujjwal Bhasin, a protester, said, “We called off the protest as the officials later told us to pay Rs 1,000 only.”

Vehicles parked on road berms and the open area were challaned today. An MC team, accompanied by cops, started the drive in the morning, which continued till evening. The MC move comes in the wake of Arya Toll Infra Ltd, which manages 25 paid-parking lots in the city, raised the issue of motorists parking vehicles at non-designated places following doubling of parking fee. The firm had claimed that on December 8 about 15,000 vehicles were parked outside the paid-parking lots. 

Challan fee on higher side, admits MC official

Admitting that the challan fee was a little high, MC Joint Commissioner Tejdeep Singh Saini, who heads the enforcement wing, said, “Our purpose was not to harass people but to challan those who park vehicles at non-designated areas after announcement. However, I came to know that people have protested the high challan fee. I agree with them and will take up the issue with the MC Commissioner.”