Commuters flout traffic rules, resort to wrong parking on roads

Residents in the industrial hub continue to flout the traffic rules, particularly when it comes to parking vehicles, despite the traffic police issuing a record number of challans for wrong parking every year. Even with frequent campaigns aimed at promoting traffic rule compliance, violations persist across the city.

According to the traffic police data, a total of 48,591 challans were issued for wrong parking violation, followed by 38,568 challans for driving without helmets.

During a recent survey, the The Tribune team, observed several instances of vehicles parked improperly across various roads. Notably, trucks were spotted parked on national highways outside eating joints (dhabas), posing a serious safety hazard to commuters. Such improper parking increases the risk of accidents, especially on foggy days when visibility is reduced, potentially leading to collisions with stationary vehicles.

Many vehicles were also parked in areas marked with ‘No Parking’ signs. High-traffic locations such as Jalandhar Bypass, Hambran Road, Haibowal, Civil Lines, Kitchlu Nagar, Gill Road, Sahnewal, Doraha, Jassian Road, Ghumar Mandi, Railway Road, Clock Tower, Shingar Cinema Road and Samrala Chowk were some of the areas where wrong parking violations were observed.

A local resident at Ghumar Mandi, a popular shopping spot, said: “I had no choice but to park my car on the road as there is no parking lot in the market. It’s not just me, anyone coming to the market has to park vehicle on the road.”

Another resident, Raman Arora, pointed out that in addition to wrong parking, the encroachment of roads by shopkeepers and roadside vendors further exacerbates traffic congestion. He stressed the importance of responsible parking to alleviate such issues.

Traffic police officials said while the department had deployed several tow-away vans to remove wrongly parked vehicles and issues a large number of challans daily, violations continue to occur, highlighting the public’s disregard for traffic regulations.