Despite lack of parking, Kullu cops’ challaning spree upsets commuters

Kullu, September 1

The police seem to be on a challaning spree in Kullu these days. According to Ajay, a Kullu resident, several areas of the town did not have adequate parking spaces, forcing commuters to park on the roadside.

However, many police officers were inconsiderate to this fact, and challaned vehicles that would be creating no hindrance to traffic, he rued.

“Visitors coming to the Kullu hospital park their vehicles on the side of the road due to the lack of parking spaces nearby. Adopting a ‘pick-and-choose’ method, the police does not challan vehicles parked on the side of the road near the district courts on this one-way hospital-college road, but vehicles parked on other parts of the same lane are often penalised,” he alleged.

Atul, who was visiting the hospital with a patient, claimed that after a police officer flagged him parking on the side of the road, he requested the cop to be considerate, given that parking space was not available near the hospital.

However, the officer replied by stating that providing parking spaces was the responsibility of government, and the duty of the police was to penalise violators.

Echoing similar sentiments, Vikram, a Dhalpur resident, claimed that he was fined for idle parking after having stopped his vehicle for a few minutes to purchase medicines from a store near the hospital.

According to Manali resident Vinay, the parking space near College Gate generally remains packed, with drivers being forced to park their vehicles on the side of the Lanka Bekar road in front of the City Hospital.

“Despite the road not being frequently used by commuters, cops ensure that vehicles parked in the area are challaned,” he said.

Chowki village resident Prakash claimed that vehicles parked along the side of the road near Bhootnath Bridge in Sarwari caused no hindrance to traffic.

“Police officials do not spare smaller vehicles parked here. They, however, seem to overlook big buses and trucks parked on the side of this road and the adjacent National Highway,” he further claimed.

Akhara Bazar resident Satish opined, “Adequate parking spaces should be set up and nominal fees should be charged in the lots. A regulatory mechanism should be developed to curtail overcharging by the parking operators.”

Kullu Municipal Council president Gopal Krishan Mahant said a multi-storey parking would be built in the Hanumani Bagh area near Sarwari, and a lift would be installed to connect it to Dhalpur, after which, parking issues in the area would be resolved.