look news india
In the name of making Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, a smart city and jam-free, claims are being made by the Municipal Corporation to run a continuous campaign. But there is deep dissatisfaction growing among the local residents, small shopkeepers and vehicle drivers of the city regarding the functioning of these campaigns on the ground level. It is alleged that the officers responsible for teaching the rules are themselves keeping silent on the shortcomings of the system. On the busy roads of the city, where there is a dire need of smooth traffic, no strict action is taken against the vehicles parked in front of big institutions, influential people and favorite business establishments. On the contrary, two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles of common citizens parked in the inner roads and narrow lanes of the colonies are immediately lifted by employing private towing cranes. Regarding this dual system, the aware citizens of the capital have directly questioned the intentions of the top leadership and enforcement mechanism of the Municipal Corporation.
Talking about the major medical and financial corridors of the capital, there are often long queues of vehicles on the main roads around Medanta Hospital at Shaheed Path, Chandan Hospital at Gomti Nagar Extension and private banks in major commercial areas. Local people say that despite no-parking boards installed outside these big corporate and medical complexes, unauthorized parking is done there regularly. During peak hours, ambulances carrying patients and common passengers struggle for hours in the traffic jam, but the towing cranes of the Municipal Corporation silently pass in front of these big centers without taking any action. Seeing this discrepancy, it has become common to discuss among the general public whether the corporation administration has given any undisclosed exemption to big influential institutions, whereas if a common man stops his vehicle on the roadside even to get medicine or go to the bank for 10 minutes, then the challan and penalty of confiscation is immediately imposed on him.
The most shocking and worrying scene is seen right around the central headquarters of the Municipal Corporation located in Lalbagh. Dozens of four-wheelers and two-wheelers are parked haphazardly throughout the day in the no-parking area around the same building where the headquarters is sitting where the outline of cleanliness, smooth traffic and rules and regulations of the entire city is prepared. Not only this, repairing and open servicing of vehicles goes on indiscriminately on the main road tracks, which leads to heavy traffic jams during peak hours. Local businessmen are asking that when these rules are being flouted right under the nose of the headquarters and the officers concerned do not notice this everyday chaos, then on what basis is the justification for going to remote areas and taking action against small vehicle owners.
The functioning of the private vendors and contractors who have been entrusted with the responsibility of picking up vehicles from no-parking areas across the city has been under controversy for a long time. Citizens directly allege that in many areas where there is neither any official signboard of ‘no-parking’ nor the traffic is being disrupted, vehicles are secretly loaded on cranes and taken away. After this, heavy fines and unofficial charges are collected in the name of releasing the vehicle, for which there is reluctance to even give the receipt. In many cases, there are complaints of broken bumpers and scratches on the body of vehicles while lifting the vehicle with the crane, for which there is no one to compensate. Traders say that instead of improving public facilities, this entire parking structure has become a source of income for private contractors and enforcement staff.
Various civic forums, trade chambers and social organizations of the capital have demanded a high-level review of this entire system from the government and local administration. Citizens say that the Municipal Corporation should first provide adequate, safe and organized multilevel parking spaces in the city, so that people do not have to park their vehicles on the roads. Along with this, wherever there is a no-parking zone, clear signs and warning boards should be installed. Citizens have demanded that body cameras and video recording should be made mandatory in the process of towing, so that innocent drivers are not harassed. What is most important is that the rules should be the same for everyone—be it a big private hospital, a bank or an ordinary two-wheeler owned by a common citizen.