Over 20k vehicles challaned by Delhi Police in 16 days for improper parking

The Delhi Traffic Police has issued challans to over 20,000 vehicles from October 22 to November 7 this year, taking the total number of improper parking incidents to 4.65 lakh this year, according to latest data accessed by Patriot.

Earlier data disclosed that till October 22, the number of vehicles booked was 4.46 lakh. However, during the corresponding period last year, the total number had only been over 3.5 lakh. Accordingly, this marks a significant increase of over 22% compared with data from the previous year.

The total number of vehicles booked was 4.7 lakh in 2023 and 3.58 lakh in 2022.

According to data, the traffic police have ramped up their crackdown on improper parking at major railway stations, issuing over 39,000 challans as of October 22.

Old Delhi Railway Station recorded the highest number of penalties, with 14,949 challans, followed by New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Delhi Cantonment stations.

The Rs 500 fine per violation has led to substantial enforcement actions, including the towing of over 1,460 vehicles.

Data reveals that the traffic police has also been able to record a significant increase in the number of vehicles towed, at 1.67 lakh. In contrast, in 2023, 1.6 lakh vehicles were towed across the year.

Earlier in April, the traffic police set a target of at least 10 illegally parked vehicles to be towed daily to increase the usage of the cranes available to the department. Reportedly, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Kipe Kaming, issued directions to tow five four-wheelers and as many two-wheelers daily that were parked illegally.

Similarly, other instances such as moving against the flow of traffic and not plying on designated lanes have also witnessed a significant increase. To put matters into perspective, till November 7, 96,906 vehicles were charged for the former, as opposed to 59,527 vehicles booked in 2023 across the year, marking a 38.1 per cent increase.

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The data for the latter also signifies a significant increase, with 4,585 vehicles being booked as opposed to the 1,732 booked in 2023 across the year, marking a whopping 62.2 per cent rise.

According to the police, they have started a crackdown on improper parking, wrong-way driving, and obstructions caused by e-rickshaws, Gramin Sewa vehicles, and auto-rickshaws near metro stations, which are among the primary contributors to traffic congestion in these areas.

To address these issues, authorities have increased the deployment of traffic personnel around all metro stations and are conducting regular drives to curb illegal parking. According to officials, special enforcement efforts are also being carried out periodically to tackle these issues.

In addition to enforcement, Delhi police are focusing on raising awareness. On July 24 and September 9, they organised road safety programs at Nangloi Chowk, where participants were educated on traffic rules and safety practices. Reflective tape stickers were also distributed and applied to bicycles to improve their visibility, enhancing cyclist safety on the roads.