Vizag police draw flak for ‘wheel lock’ drive

The ‘wheel lock’ drive experiment launched by the Vizag city police a couple of days ago to curb wrong parking of vehicles drew flak from the public. In a bid to create awareness among the people about traffic rules, the police introduced the ‘wheel lock’ system and booked several cases since its launch. They collected a fine of Rs 1,035 each from those who parked their vehicles, either a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler, in no parking area, to unlock the vehicle wheel.

Though the police say it is only to create awareness and for the safety of motorists, and not to trouble anyone, the general public fault the police. They argue that the drive is unfair as several areas in the city like Dabagardens, Dwarakanagar, and Ramnagar have no place for parking. They further say that permission should be given for establishing a shop only when it provides parking space to its customers.

“There is no meaning in punishing the public leaving shop owners who are supposed to provide a parking space,” says a youth whose vehicle wheel was locked, as part of the ‘wheel lock’ drive, for parking in front of a hospital near King George Hospital (KGH) in Vizag.

“Parking is a big problem for motorists in Visakhapatnam and the authorities should resolve the problem by making it mandatory for shop owners to provide parking space for their customers,” says P Murali, a retired steel plant employee. Though the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) in the past, insisted that shop owners allot some place for the parking of vehicles, later the rule was thrown to the winds for reasons better known to the authorities concerned.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu.