Police app, WhatsApp group to keep eye on illegal parking
Times of India | 7 July 2024
Kolkata: All the 26 traffic guards of Kolkata Police have started using an app and a WhatsApp group to record parking violations, for which appropriate action will be taken and all the cases, along with videos, will be reported to Lalbazar. The findings from this app and other road-space issues, such as unauthorized parking and encroachments by hawkers, were discussed at a review meeting that was held at Lalbazar on Saturday.The meeting was attended by OCs and ACPs of all the traffic guards and senior officers.
Cops will share data, photos and videos of road rule violations with KMC through the new WhatsApp group. “Through this group, we are exchanging notes on the vehicle count on each stretch. This will help KMC decide whether to regularise some of the unauthorized parking zones to accommodate more vehicles legally. It will also help them earn revenue,” said an officer.
The watch on unauthorised parking through the app will not be restricted to commercial areas only. “Violations around Ballygunge Phari and in the Maidan area will be recorded as well as those near Gariahat and New Market,” an officer said.
“We have been asked to record the ground situation from time to time and send the report to the Lalbazar traffic control room. We have also been asked to share illegal parking cases with Lalbazar . We are reporting an average of 2,500-3,000 violation cases daily,” said an officer from a central Kolkata traffic guard. “We will continue the drive till further orders.”
Police have also decided to track and locate alternative parking spaces with the help of the app. “The first list of possible spots has been submitted to KMC,” said a senior officer.
An officer, who attended the review meeting at Lalbazar, said they spoke about finding better solutions to all the road problems and involving multiple agencies as well as local police stations in the drive.
“We are also collecting status reports on the parking fee devices, network issues if any and absence of or inadequate number of display boards at parking lots. We will periodically send the report to agencies,” said an officer. “The agency concerned has been told to repair the damaged display board for parking fee rates on Park Street. Parking agents have again been told to wear uniforms, display their photo ID cards, use POS machines and report any kind of malfunctioning of the devices.”