Menace of ‘illegal parking’ plaguing the roads of Dimapur

Dimapur, July 8 (EMN): Illegal parking along busy areas in Nagaland is rampant. This may cause for some areas a lot of chaos that can be quiet taxing for the traffic police to control.

Apart from private cars, many auto rickshaw drivers act errantly too for which the traffic police in Dimapur have stipulated timings for vehicles to ply on certain streets. This has also led the traffic police to start clamping down on illegally parked vehicles including two wheelers.

One of the busiest and most congested roads in Nagaland is arguably the Nyamo Lotha Road or popularly the Church Road, in Dimapur. It has kept the Dimapur Traffic Police on their toes for a while now. Even though strict measures were introduced, it still is a difficult job for the enforcement to make certain sections of the public to pay heed to rules and norms.

Dimapur’s Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic) Philip Yanthan said that the traffic police was not “here to harass” the public but to make it easier for them to smoothly use traffic facilities especially along Church Road. “Introducing clamping in these areas was a good idea, as it will definitely curb illegal parking” he said. The officer said that areas such as Church Road cannot be expanded because buildings had been built on both sides of the road.

Many commercial areas such as the Church Road in Dimapur are developing at a rapid pace. However with development also comes the issue of space crunch. “There is a system which needs to be followed by the public because of overcrowding. It will ease the pressure,” Yanthan maintained.

The ACP also emphasized on mutual respect the public should have for one another when it comes to parking in cramped up spaces. “Over here, people like to think for themselves and park in ways that will not allow other vehicles also when there is ample space for two to three cars in that particular spot,” he said.

Yanthan informed that once a vehicle had been clamped, the owner or driver can go to the nearest traffic assistance booth and pay the fine or ‘chalaan.’ The rate depends on the magnitude of the offence, after which the vehicle would be freed.

Some citizens of the city spoke to Eastern Mirror. While some appreciated the work of the traffic authorities, some felt that there should be other solutions.

“I feel the administration should also jump in and try to find ways to lessen the traffic and congestion on Church Road,” said a parent whose daughter studies at Christian Higher Secondary School. The citizen added that having multiple parking spaces or building would be a “fantastic idea” before space for building even one runs out.

Another parent said that his bike was clamped when he was on his way to pick his daughter from St. Mary’s Montessori School. Apparently there was no parking space in the area for two wheelers and he did not want to walk a long distance.

When queried about the complaints from citizens, the ACP said that “Church Road is like the heart of Dimapur; unless there is a medical emergency or a serious issue, the traffic police try to maintain and follow rules.” He said it was at this juncture that the state needs to intervene in balancing the interest of the automobile population and the need to effectively utilize public space for the public.

According to reports, the number of cars produced in India touched 15 million in 2010 while road-based traffic volume is set to increase to 12456 passengers-kilometres in 2030.

According to Indian Road Congress (IRC) Standards, a vehicle takes 25 sqm of space on an average.

Parking for vehicles is one of the most crucial urban facilities for any developing city. Apparently, the increasing number of cars does not always correlate with availability of space and infrastructure for their parking — one keeps increasing, while the other decreases.