GUWAHATI: The issue of illegal parking in no-parking zones has become a growing concern for residents and authorities in Guwahati. Despite repeated warnings and steps from authorities, vehicles parked in restricted areas continue to cause traffic congestion and inconvenience to pedestrians.
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Many areas of Guwahati as B. Borooah Road, RG Baruah Road, Rajgarh, Chandmari, GS Road, Pan Bazaar, and Paltan Bazaar, among others have seen a rapid increase in unauthorised parking, particularly during peak hours. People just leave their cars and vehicles beside the roads, especially in places where there is a no parking.
Commuters and many residents often face delays due to reduced road space, while pedestrians are forced to traverse through unsafe pathways as at times sidewalks are frequently occupied by vehicles.
However, this may also be attributed to the lack of parking space in the city, along with a deterioration in the civic awareness of the residents who cater to such behaviour.
Talking to GPlus, Rajesh, a local shopkeeper from Ulubari said, “Customers often complain about no parking availability, and when they park nearby, they’re fined. There’s a need for more multi-level parking facilities in the city.”
Talking to GPlus, a traffic official from Paltan Bazar police station said, “Whenever we see a parking violation in the form of parking on a no-parking zone, we click and send a picture through our App and upload. After, this a message regarding the fine pops up on the registered number of the offended, which is generally ₹2000. But, nowadays people are nonchalant and do not care about the challans, leading to more violations.”
"You can see the vehicle next to me, the owner asked if he could park it for 5 mins urgently, to which I agreed. But, he has not returned as of yet. People these days do not comply, and this makes it an issue," he added.
As Guwahati continues to expand, tackling the problem of illegal parking remains a critical challenge which has to be addressed immediately.
