Cops crack down on roadside parking

The next time you park beside a road,be prepared to pay a hefty price including spending time behind bars. Four people learned this the hard way on Friday after the Chandigarh Police arrested them for parking their vehicles on the roadside and obstructing traffic. They were all later bailed out.

The initiative is part of a police drive being undertaken following a host of complaints from residents that cars parked on the roadside in various sectors were hampering traffic movement. Police registered the cases under Section 283 of the IPC – for danger or obstruction of public way or line of navigation. All the four cars were parked near the market in Sector 9. The arrested include Suresh Kumar,a resident of Nayagaon; Harman Singh,a resident of Barnala; Bhim Singh,a resident of Sector 26; and Kamal Kuthila,a resident of Sector 27.

Police said the drive will now be extended to other sectors. With around 9 lakh registered vehicles and a floating population of more than a lakh,the city is increasingly witnessing parking issues. The lack of space further accentuates the problem,with markets and residential areas teeming with vehicles.