Arbitrary Parking Rules Create Mess
In public zones, public transport is mostly controlled by the police who create a larger mess than warranted. It’s the arbitrary placement of Barricades and ‘No Parking’ Signs that triggers most of the traffic mess.
A walk along South Bombay’s tourism spots near Gateway of India, Churchgate, Metro and Nariman Point reveal the apathy of the traffic police who place barricades in pre-determined formats during Nakabandis to prevent smooth passage of vehicles in order to stop them for mandatory checks at a predetermined time during the day and/or night. Once the Nakabandi ends, the police shift the barricades to one side of the road and move away from the spot only to arrive the next day for another Nakabandi.
Now, while the barricades lie on one side of the road, piled and almost in a state of disarray, BEST buses simply cannot pass through without dodging them slowly triggering a traffic jam almost regularly. To compound matters are the Olas and Ubers driven by drivers who constantly keep viewing directions on a map app in a mobile placed in a holder next to the steering wheel. In the age of e-technology, and one that’s growing slower than the ever-burgeoning demand, applications struggle to keep at pace with the need and aggregator cab drivers are left with little option but to wait for ‘updates’ and slow down, thereby delaying traffic even further.
Legally, using a mobile while driving is an offence but viewing one attached to the deck or while driving isn’t. The traffic police are hugely oblivious to this single-most dangerous trigger for vehicular accidents.
That apart, No-Parking signs are used with random disregard for the law by shopkeepers keen on keeping ‘entrances to their shops’ free and open at all times. So, it isn’t rare to find No-Parking signages propped up at odd place and without any legal sanction by the police who look the other way.
“So, while the shopkeeper places a No-Parking sign on a tree opposite his shop and fights with all and sundry, throwing expletive and threats that he would get the cops to impound any parked vehicle, the local traffic police just don’t show up. And then, once a vehicle is parked, the shopkeeper’s staff physically pick it up and place it in a nearby No-Parking zone and then tip off the towing van personnel who promptly arrive and haul the vehicle to the nearest traffic police chowkey charging the owner with the parking in a No Parking zone offence,” says advertising professional Pierre Gonzalves who has “had several fights with shopkeepers” on this issue.
“To argue with the police is a different issue altogether,” says Pierre, “but this sort of racket is rife across old Mumbai where, owing to the number of vehicles, parking is a huge issue.”
Besides No-Parking signs being placed on trees, poles, against shops, attached to stone flower-pots by all and sundry to prevent private vehicles from being parked, the traffic police themselves place their vehicles bang below No-Parking signs with stark disregard for the law.
This report has been prepared for DraftCraft International’s flagship initiative The Public Space Project in conjunction with its pilot endeavours - The Right To Walk Project, The Gateway of India Project and The Elephanta Island Project to research, analyse and determine the rights of the common man, the pedestrian, the tourist and the rights of the masses availing public transportation in contrast to those privileged few owning private vehicles. The initiative examines laws and policies regarding transport, access to public spaces and privacy guaranteed to all by the State in context of the Right To Equality, Freedoms and the Right to Life.
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| A random 'No Parking' sign placed on a tree outside a traffic police chowkey with two-wheelers parked all around, in complete disregard too |
A walk along South Bombay’s tourism spots near Gateway of India, Churchgate, Metro and Nariman Point reveal the apathy of the traffic police who place barricades in pre-determined formats during Nakabandis to prevent smooth passage of vehicles in order to stop them for mandatory checks at a predetermined time during the day and/or night. Once the Nakabandi ends, the police shift the barricades to one side of the road and move away from the spot only to arrive the next day for another Nakabandi.
Now, while the barricades lie on one side of the road, piled and almost in a state of disarray, BEST buses simply cannot pass through without dodging them slowly triggering a traffic jam almost regularly. To compound matters are the Olas and Ubers driven by drivers who constantly keep viewing directions on a map app in a mobile placed in a holder next to the steering wheel. In the age of e-technology, and one that’s growing slower than the ever-burgeoning demand, applications struggle to keep at pace with the need and aggregator cab drivers are left with little option but to wait for ‘updates’ and slow down, thereby delaying traffic even further.
Legally, using a mobile while driving is an offence but viewing one attached to the deck or while driving isn’t. The traffic police are hugely oblivious to this single-most dangerous trigger for vehicular accidents.
That apart, No-Parking signs are used with random disregard for the law by shopkeepers keen on keeping ‘entrances to their shops’ free and open at all times. So, it isn’t rare to find No-Parking signages propped up at odd place and without any legal sanction by the police who look the other way.
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| Mumbai's shopkeepers place No-Parking Signs at will. Here opposite Liberty Cinema in South Mumbai, a restaurant puts up a tailor-made No-Parking Signage to deter others, read 'Non-Customers' from parking outside its premises |
“So, while the shopkeeper places a No-Parking sign on a tree opposite his shop and fights with all and sundry, throwing expletive and threats that he would get the cops to impound any parked vehicle, the local traffic police just don’t show up. And then, once a vehicle is parked, the shopkeeper’s staff physically pick it up and place it in a nearby No-Parking zone and then tip off the towing van personnel who promptly arrive and haul the vehicle to the nearest traffic police chowkey charging the owner with the parking in a No Parking zone offence,” says advertising professional Pierre Gonzalves who has “had several fights with shopkeepers” on this issue.
“To argue with the police is a different issue altogether,” says Pierre, “but this sort of racket is rife across old Mumbai where, owing to the number of vehicles, parking is a huge issue.”
Besides No-Parking signs being placed on trees, poles, against shops, attached to stone flower-pots by all and sundry to prevent private vehicles from being parked, the traffic police themselves place their vehicles bang below No-Parking signs with stark disregard for the law.
This report has been prepared for DraftCraft International’s flagship initiative The Public Space Project in conjunction with its pilot endeavours - The Right To Walk Project, The Gateway of India Project and The Elephanta Island Project to research, analyse and determine the rights of the common man, the pedestrian, the tourist and the rights of the masses availing public transportation in contrast to those privileged few owning private vehicles. The initiative examines laws and policies regarding transport, access to public spaces and privacy guaranteed to all by the State in context of the Right To Equality, Freedoms and the Right to Life.
