No parking zones in Meerut’s market areas: RTI

Times of India: Meerut: Saturday, 06 September 2014.

A Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Lokesh Khurana has shown that there are no parking zones even in the most congested market areas of the city. Eight years since the Meerut Masterplan 2021 was approved, there is no provision for parking zones around areas where there are markets in the city.

The RTI application also revealed that from January 2014 to August 15, 2014, Rs 15,63,000 had been recovered by issuing challans to offenders.

There are no cranes available with civic authorities to tow away lighter vehicles. "Illegal parking and encroachment have taken the form of an industry. In some areas, even shopkeepers encourage roadside vendors to put their stalls in front of their shops. In return, these shopkeepers charge them a daily fee. Policemen too accept money from them daily. Roads are thus narrowed, hindering flow of traffic."

The RTI application also revealed that there were only 77 traffic constables in the city and 14 traffic police inspectors. The problem is far too gigantic for such a small number of personnel to handle, the RTI activist said, adding that despite the occasional anti-encroachment drive, nothing much changes.

SP Traffic PK Tiwari, however, claimed that matters were not quite as dismal as painted by the RTI activist: "We constantly initiate anti-encroachment drives. In August alone, we recovered Rs 2.9 lakh in fine from traffic offenders."

Khurana had also sent an RTI application requiring the Meerut Development Authority (MDA) to provide details on 11 points, including the size of the road from Begum Bridge to Medical College, the reasons why no footpaths existed on main roads, and which government department was responsible for removing encroachments from certain areas of the city. He also sought to know what measures the MDA was taking under Meerut Master Plan 2021, to deal with illegal parking near markets.

Khurana did not get a reply to all his queries. A meeting had been scheduled with MDA vice chairman and other officials of the authority, but that has now been put off until September 26.