KOZHIKODE: Motorists coming to city hospitals have been affected as the city traffic police started strictly enforcing the parking rules and clamped four-wheelers parked in no-parking areas.
City police chief says the police has the legal powers to seize vehicles parked in prohibited areas or parked obstructing the traffic flow.
However, neither the police nor the corporation authorities could suggest an alternative parking area.
“I had come with a relative who is a neurological patient. Since the hospital had no earmarked space available inside, I had to park the vehicle on the roadside not obstructing traffic to take him inside as I was the only one accompanying him. When I returned, I saw its wheels clamped. I had to pursue the case with the police for several hours, leaving the patient alone at the hospital,” city resident K. Raju told DC.
He asked that hospital authorities, police or the civic body to tell the car owners where to park when they come to the hospital. “It is unfair to apply the same rule for everyone,” he said.
“If there was a parking lot, I could have made him sit in the hospital, park the car and come back. Here, I had no other option as he needed emergency medical attention.”
City police commissioner P.A. Valsan said he would try to work out a particular formula to deal with such cases.
“The problem we face is very severe. If we let one vehicle park in an area, several others will park in the same area blocking the traffic. We have been writing to the authorities, requesting them to turn some government lands as parking grounds. But nothing happened so far,” he said.
He said it is unfortunate that bystanders had to undergo such trouble when they come to the hospital with patients.
Police is legally empowered to seize a vehicle that is parked in the no-parking zone or parked obstructing the traffic.
“It is like the arrest in a criminal case. If the vehicle is parked blocking the traffic flow, we can seize the vehicle. We have the legal powers to do that,” he added.
