Parked vehicles on the road side of Paona Keithel and Thangal Keithel were driven out and started deflating those who fails to clear on time today by the Imphal Traffic police as an initiative to solve traffic congestion in Imphal City. Paona Keithel and Thangal Keithel along with the BT road is becoming the most congested area in the Imphal city which is gearing up to upgrade it into Imphal city in the coming days. It is not allotting parking space at the road side but it is because of the traffic police inability to control the unorganized parking like double parking and others, said a commuter while talking to this reporter. When asked to traffic police Inspector, Rameshwar said that the drive to clear parking at the roadside of both Paona Keithel and Thangal Keithel have begun since the last couple of days as according to an order of the higher ups in the state Traffic Police and the SP of Imphal west with the recommendation of the Traffic Regulation and Parking committee (TRPC) on December 26 last year. However, due to the Jan 4 earthquake which damage portion of Khwairambandh Ima Keithel, traffic police had to relax for some time. As the matter has been partially settled the Traffic police had started enforcing the order, Rameshwar added.
Many of the vehicles both four wheelers and two wheelers, which were found parking on the road side of Paona keithel were deflated but after prior warning to take it out. Many of the owners of the vehicles criticized the deflating of the tyres saying that that is not the proper way for enforcing the new order.
“If any vehicles are found violating the new regulations they did not need to deflate the tyres , but instead they can pull it up using lifter vehicle and fine them,” a lawyer whose car was deflated said in a state of anonymity.
The same law was enforced some years back, and due to complaints from the shopkeepers at Paona keithel and Thangal keithel, the band on parking on the roadside has been lifted.
Regarding the parking space, Traffic police officer Rameshwar said that those visiting Paona keithel can park their vehicle at the back side of Polo ground and along the road side of Wahengbam leikai as well as at the road side near MPCL office and near Keishampat bridge.
