Hyderabad: While a lack of parking outside shopping centres, hospitals and busy markets compels people to park their vehicles haphazardly, causing traffic chaos and prompting the Hyderabad police to launch Operation ROPE to decongest the roads, several police stations themselves lack adequate parking facilities.
While ROPE (Removal of Obstructing Parking and Encroachments) was launched a month ago aimed at clearing encroachments on roads and footpaths, visitors to police stations are forced to park their vehicles on footpaths and roads outside the police stations.
While those who park their vehicles outside police stations are 'exempt' from traffic tickets for improper parking, the haphazard parking of vehicles is impeding other vehicular movement. The majority of police stations are located in high-traffic areas. Private vehicles are not permitted inside some police stations where parking is available, citing 'security reasons', resulting in slowing down of traffic and leading to congestion.
A resident near the Banjara Hills traffic police station told Deccan Chronicle that not only the vehicles of people visiting the police station, but also those of the officers, obstruct vehicular movement in the area. "Moreover, police here frequently drive in the wrong direction, causing additional problems for commuters," he added.
According to A.V. Ranganath, joint commissioner (Traffic), parking is an issue not only at police stations, but also at all government buildings in the city and the majority of private establishments. "We have only recently started ROPE. We're working on plans to address the parking issue at all the buildings,” he said.
