By Violet Pereira, Team Mangalorean

Mangalore: As the accident rate is increasing alarmingly in the city, the traffic police have started wheel-locking drive on vehicles parked in parking restricted areas here on June 20.

Some of the vehicles are being parked on the roads where there is no parking.  The Kadri traffic police have started the locking drive on cars parked on the roads. Within a week of time, road accidents took three precious lives because of reckless driving, added to by the parking of vehicles in 'no parking' areas.

Kadri  traffic police station sub inspector Sandesh, speaking to Mangalorean.com, said, "In the city, deaths on roads have increased because of the vehicles parked in no parking zones and reckless driving. With no footpaths in most of the roads in the City, pedestrians face the risk of being knocked down while walking on the side of the road. To make the situation worse even though most of the roads have two lanes, one lane is used to park vehicles by careless drivers who put everyone's life at risk.  Just in one week, 3 precious lives have been lost. To reduce such incidents we have started this drive. Whoever parks the vehicle in the no-parking area, we lock the front wheel and impose a penalty of Rs 300. In case the owner does not pay the penalty, the vehicle will be towed from the spot and the penalty will be Rs 1,000."

A woman who had parked her car in front of Vas Bakery opposite St Agnes College, speaking to our correspondent, said, "We had just parked the car and gone to the first floor. By that time, the cops locked our car wheel.  When we came down to take the car, it was locked.  My husband went to the police station to pay the penalty."

Another woman who had parked her car on the road was seen arguing with the cops for not informing her before locking the wheel. Others who had parked their cars on the roadside hurriedly drove their cars when the cops warned them.

This is a bold initiative from the traffic police to reduce the accident rate and ensure the free movement of traffic.  The more important issue is why is it that after so many incidents, the general public still does not follow the traffic rules? Why most of the people refuse to walk some distance after parking their vehicles in the right places?  Why do the bus drivers always fly rather than follow the speed limits?  Is there any value for human life ?  We all must think. Today it is someone else. Tomorrow, who knows, we may be the victims - these are the thoughts expressed by some right-thinking citizens.  

Our correspondent asked a pedestrian Vasanth about this system of locking of the wheels. He said, "This had to be done long back, because people come and park their vehicles wherever they want, and they do not follow any traffic rules. We are scared of walking on the footpath because of the speed of the vehicles. Moreover there is no proper footpath.  The number of vehicles on the roads has increased phenomenally".

He urged the authorities concerned to strictly implement road safety measures and save students as well as pedestrians' lives from danger. 

"If the police do not take strict action against the reckless drivers now, there will be more lives being lost on the roads everyday," he said.