To display cards on towing vans with detailed break up of fine to be paid for parking in no parking zones; decision taken after citizens complain of being fleeced at the hands of towing agents
After receiving a slew of complaints about the use of abusivelanguage and demands for exorbitant amounts of money from offenders for parking their vehicles wrongly, the traffic police department have decided to display ‘fine cards’ on the towing vans.
Displayed on the cards would be a detailed break up of the amount offenders are to be fined, so that those towing their vehicles do not fleece them. Besides, new receipt books would have the fine amount printed on them. The traffic police have currently outsourced the towing work to a few contractors, who make Rs 50 per vehicle they tow and transport to the impound yard.u00a0
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“We have been receiving complaints that whenever offenders approach towing agents to reclaim their vehicles, they are asked to pay exorbitant amounts,” Police Inspector (Traffic Admin) Rangrao Kamere said. Kamere cleared that once vehicles are towed for parking in no parking zones, offenders have no option but to visit the Traffic Division Office and reclaim their vehicles by paying a fine of Rs 200.u00a0
“Out of Rs 200, Rs 50 is the transport charges paid to the agency for towing the vehicle and Rs 150 is the violation charge, which is paid to the traffic branch,” Kamere said. He added that currently any traffic personnel penalising an offender has to mention the amount (Rs 200) while issuing the receipt, and the new receipts will have charges printed on them — transport and violation charge.u00a0
“We have decided to display these amounts on towing vans as well, so that offenders know how much to pay when they are fined for parking in no parking zones,” Kamere said. He said that most of the time people employed by the towing contractors often indulge in unnecessary disputes with people that culminate into an exchange of verbal abuse.
Kamere added that the new plan of displaying the fine amount on towing vans would also prevent dishonest traffic personnel from minting money. He said they have also decided to make the contractors pay for the damages vehicles suffer during towing. “If something happens to a vehicle and if it is proven that the damage was caused while towing, then the respective contractor will have to pay for the damages,” he said.u00a0
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