IMPHAL, March 25: A combined team of the Imphal West police and traffic police personnel today carried out a special drive against double parking along the busy roads of Paona and Thangal bazars. The army’s blatant disregard of the drive conducted by the police was also witnessed today leaving many a commuters troubled.
The drive was carried out following instruction from the Imphal West SP Dr Ak Jhalajit this noon.
In an abrupt disregard of what was going on, a convoy of the Brigadier of Sikh Regiment came towards the Moreh Market at Paona Bazar and parked the vehicles near the Usha Cinema hall next to a four wheeler which was already ticketed for double parking by the police.
The army disregarding traffic rules and regulations is not a one-off incident, lamented a bystander.
Army convoys are seen disregarding the one way traffic on a daily basis along the congested bazar roads, echoed another.
Meanwhile, coming back to today’s incident, the convoy remained unreceptive even when a police officer approached them, and continued to be parked along both sides of the road for a good 30 minutes creating many problems for the passers-by along the road.
In the meantime, the police officer had to turn back and remain a mute spectator to the commuters’ problems due to the convoy’s indifference.
City Police vehicles had prior to the drive announced it using loud speakers along the roads of both bazars.
All vehicle owners who have double parked were provided an hour’s time to remove their vehicles. The special drive started around noon time today. Police locked the front wheels of four wheelers found double parked along the roads using wheel clamps and stuck challans on the front windshields.
However, lack of man power of the police was quite obvious during today’s drive. only three Manipur Police Service officers on probation along with a handful of unarmed traffic police personnel were seen conducting the drive.
The routine witnessed along the road during today’s drive was that soon after the police team come and clear the double parkings at a place, other vehicles coming after the police team had left and oblivious of the drive, would parked their vehicles.
There has also been a rapid increase in the traffic volume along most Imphal roads since the past many years, which has resulted in inconveniences of the public.
However, the inconvenience of the commuters have only been aggravated by the failure of the authorities to provide proper parking spaces in the bazar area and as such commuters have no option other than double parking at most places, which cannot be controlled alone by the parking ticket collectors of the Imphal Municipal Council.
A public understanding of the traffic rules and regulations and proper traffic management by the police and traffic personnel will help vehicular free flow along the Imphal roads.