By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Shillong Traffic police department has brought a new device to address the growing problem of illegal parking of vehicles in the city.
The new device which the traffic police would be using from Tuesday onwards is a clamping machine which would be fitted in on the tyres of those vehicles which are parked wrongfully.
“Initially 40 clamping machines would be made available at the Sadar and Laitumkhrah traffic branch. The new device would be made available to other traffic branch at the later stage,” East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang told reporters here on Monday.
He said the department had brought this new device to tackle the menace of illegal parking which is one of the root causes for the traffic jam.
According to Kharkrang, once wrongfully parked vehicle is clamped by the machines it will be rendered immovable and the traffic constables will paste a “notice” on the windshield of the vehicles reminding violators of their offence.
“The offender will have to pay the penalty before taking possession of his or her vehicle,” the SP said.
Kharkrang said that another reason for introducing these clamping machines is because many vehicles owners whose vehicles had been towed had complained that towing had damages to their vehicles.
Kharkrang also informed that from January to September this year a total of 12, 457 traffic offences were detected by the traffic police realising fine to the tune of Rs 54, 60, 650.
It may be mentioned that with the onset of winter, the coal export season has started and the traffic scenario has become very grim with hundreds of trucks plying coal outside the State through the city roads.
The supply of coal goes up during winter season and it adds to the city’s traffic congestion as many trucks carry coal from coal rich areas of the State to other parts of the country.