Warning to auto consultants and workshops

Mysore/Mysuru: The City Police is gearing up to crackdown on encroachments of footpaths and areas adjacent to roads, especially by auto consultants and auto workshops. These encroachments have inconvenienced residents, commuters and pedestrians, prompting the Police to take decisive measures.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crime and Traffic, S. Jahnavi stated that efforts are underway to curb this menace and address the long-standing problem faced by the community.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, the DCP mentioned that immediate action will be taken against auto consultants found illegally parking their cars on the roadside and footpaths. The same applies to auto workshop owners. She emphasised that such encroachments are clear violations of traffic rules, advising auto consultants to use their designated lots for parking instead of illegally occupying road and footpath spaces.

“In response to such violations, notices will be issued to offending auto consultants and automobile repair workshop and stringent legal measures will be taken to address the issue,” she added.

It has been observed that auto workshops, auto consultants and second-hand car showrooms are utilising footpaths as extended spaces for business activities and for parking vehicles meant for sale or repair. Jahnavi stated, “We will identify stretches where such encroachments are taking place and action will be taken against automobile enterprises using public spaces for parking, causing a nuisance and obstruction to smooth driving on the road.”

Commuters and pedestrians have raised concerns about these illegal auto enterprises occupying stretches in front of their shops, leading to double parking and traffic congestion. Many tax-payers are asking whether the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has leased or rented its roads and footpaths for commercial purposes.

Residents point out that while the Traffic Police are imposing penalties on citizens for roadside parking, they appear to turn a blind eye to the numerous vehicles parked on roads and footpaths. If the citizens park their vehicles by the roadsides for a few minutes, the Police tow away the vehicles, they said.

Throughout the city, this menace of parking on roads is seen. Other commercial entities operating in the vicinity of these auto consultants express their frustration at the difficulty of moving around the city due to the occupied roads and footpaths. This raises questions about whether the MCC has leased or rented out the city’s roads and footpaths to private agencies.