Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the State Government will completely review the existing vehicle towing system. “We will review the system. Earlier, towing was being done by the department itself and now it is being outsourced. Several incidents of skirmishes between the public and police have been reported,” he told reporters here after taking part in the Martyrs’ Day function.
Though this comes in the wake of a traffic policeman violently thrashing a woman for pelting stones at a towing vehicle, it is not the first time that citizens have expressed their ire over the manner in which vehicles are towed.
The general public have been accusing traffic police of violating SoPs while towing vehicles from non-parking areas. There have also been instances of irked motorists physically attacking the towing staff.
The high towing fees is another sore point among motorists, many of who are unable to afford them. A first-time offence for parking a bike in a non- parking area the fine is ₹1,150. This includes ₹500 for the parking violation and ₹650 for towing the bike away. The ₹650 towing charges is split equally between the government and the agency.
For car parking violations, owners have to pay ₹1,500 (₹500 fine, and ₹1,000 as towing charges). Here, too, the agency and the government split the towing charges, taking ₹ 500 each.
For the second offence for both categories of vehicles, motorists are charged an additional ₹500 over and above the regular fine.
Another incident
Another incident of towing staff allegedly harassing a motorist has gone viral on social media. The latest clip shows staff attached to J.B. Nagar traffic police towing away the bike of a delivery executive as he runs behind the vehicle, pleading with them to stop. The vehicle was later stopped, and the executive got his bike back after he spoke to the ASI in charge.
People commented on the video and blamed the towing staff for their senseless action. Taking a strong exception to this, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda ordered an inquiry and suspended the operation of the vehicle. The ASI concerned was also withdrawn from towing duties until further orders.
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