Pramesh S Jain
In a major move aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving pedestrian movement,the Bengaluru City Police,in coordination with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and Revenue Department,have begun shifting seized and abandoned vehicles that have been occupying police station premises and roadsides for several years.
The relocation drive was formally launched on Wednesday at the Jayanagar 4th Block Police Station by Bengaluru Urban Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda.
As part of the initiative,111 seized vehicles that had been parked at the police station for a long period were shifted to a vacant site outside the city.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner,Seemant Kumar Singh, Traffic Joint Commissioner,Karthik Reddy,West Zone Joint Commissioner,Vamshikrishna and other senior officials were present.
Police stations across Bengaluru currently have around 11,346 seized vehicles parked in and around their premises.
Many of these vehicles have remained at police stations for 15 to 20 years,while several are linked to court cases and cannot be disposed of until the cases are concluded.
The accumulation of vehicles has not only created a shortage of space at police stations but has also resulted in vehicles spilling onto roads and footpaths, obstructing pedestrian movement and causing inconvenience to the public.
Following discussions between the police and Revenue Department,the Revenue Department has identified 26 acres of land at seven locations for parking such vehicles.
Speaking at the programme,Krishna Byre Gowda said the government was addressing long-pending civic problems in Bengaluru and that several measures, including clearing footpaths,towing abandoned vehicles and removing debris,were being taken.
He said the police and Revenue Department had launched the process of clearing vehicles seized over the past decade and added that efforts would be made to shift as many vehicles as possible to the newly identified sites over the next month.
The minister said notices had already been issued to 2,024 vehicles,particularly those that had been abandoned and left on roadsides.
In cases where owners fail to respond and take back their vehicles, towing action would be initiated.
Referring to the situation around Jayanagar Police Station,he said the vehicles had created an unsightly environment and could also provide scope for unlawful activities.
He added that the issue was not new and had been pending with the police department for over two decades .
The government would coordinate with all concerned departments to clear government vehicles that had become unusable,he said.
The coordinated effort by the GBA and Bengaluru Police is expected to free up space around police stations and reduce obstructions on roads and pedestrian pathways across the city.
