[NPV]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I think on a Sunday early morning you do that in half the time. Hence instead of 75 minutes I believe 35 minutes is more than sufficient unless you are driving really slow.

Originally Posted by keroo1099

At 7:00 in the morning on a Sunday I would just go through the City.

Thanks again guys!
Started at 6:05 and reached the destination by 6:45 via city CBD, Mysore Road and Bangalore Universtity, roads are good all the way.

Later, I had couple of hours to kill, so drove past Bidadi and returned to Ullal Main Road via Kengeri satellite town.
I made a U-turn somewhere after Rasta Cafe and now due to the highway road work, it's very difficult to reach that place, looked empty as well from outside so didn't go in.

*Also, white topping work is in progress on the already narrow Kengeri Satellite town main road (one side is complete which is now used as a parking lot), while traffic in both directions shares the other half of the road.

[adisan]

For a change, some good news:

Auto driver returns Rs 10,000 he got through wrong UPI transfer (ToI news article)

[NPV]

Most of us in Bangalore have experienced or witnessed how vehicles are towed in case of no parking violations. There are several videos on YouTube that show how traffic police in Bangalore tow away vehicles especially 2 wheelers. After a recent incident that led to an officer being suspended, the Karnataka CM has directed the authorities concerned to follow the standard operating procedure.

The police usually tow away vehicles parked in no-parking zones to ease traffic movement in the city. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the same stipulates that the traffic police must first announce the vehicle’s registration number and then if the owner of the vehicle does not turn up, they can proceed with the towing. This, however, isn’t followed in most cases.

Source-Indian Express Bangalore

[venkyhere]

This pickup-and-tow or pickup-and-load-into-truck job is outsourced to 'contractors' (read : some senior thug/goon who employs some junior thugs/goons and calls it towing company - one of the perks of being a senior thug/goon : 'settled' in life into various dubious businesses)
It's the same in various metro cities.
Announcement etc is a joke - the payment to the contractor is a fixed rate of X per vehicle 'towed' or 'locked' or 'pickedup' - they dump the thing in the police station premises or under some flyover where a constable will wait with a 'bill book'/blackberry fine-issuer device. Huge income for the traffic police and a small portion of this is the 'X' paid to contractor. The intention is not 'easing traffic' or 'dissuading parking' - the intention is pure 'revenue'.
There is nothing for a car/bike owner to argue. The vehicles are picked up from marked no-parking locations, so the activity has 100% legal backing. Just pay and leave with the vehicle, and pray to god that there is no damage. If one argues or questions the lagality, fine will just double.

[Piyush_DT]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

This pickup-and-tow or pickup-and-load-into-truck job is outsourced to 'contractors' (read : some senior thug/goon who employs some junior thugs/goons and calls it towing company - one of the perks of being a senior thug/goon : 'settled' in life into various dubious businesses)
It's the same in various metro cities.
Announcement etc is a joke - the payment to the contractor is a fixed rate of X per vehicle 'towed' or 'locked' or 'pickedup' - they dump the thing in the police station premises or under some flyover where a constable will wait with a 'bill book'/blackberry fine-issuer device. Huge income for the traffic police and a small portion of this is the 'X' paid to contractor. The intention is not 'easing traffic' or 'dissuading parking' - the intention is pure 'revenue'.
There is nothing for a car/bike owner to argue. The vehicles are picked up from marked no-parking locations, so the activity has 100% legal backing. Just pay and leave with the vehicle, and pray to god that there is no damage. If one argues or questions the lagality, fine will just double.

It is just corruption. My vehicle was picked up from the lane which also had Cab's lined up. I was shocked to see how come only my vehicle was picked up. I tried to argue but all are thugs/goons didn't bother. Did anybody saw Cab picked up even though they are majorly contributing to traffic/parking issues? I never did.

[gtonsing]

Originally Posted by Piyush_DT

It is just corruption. -----Did anybody saw Cab picked up even though they are majorly contributing to traffic/parking issues? I never did.

My car was also picked up a long time ago on ORR near Cisco office. I was parked in the service road and there were other cars when I parked. They had dumped it near the HAL road - Whitefield ORR flyover with a chain loosely around the wheels. Spent sometime looking around for anyone but seeing no one, I tried removing the chain. But that must have triggered something somewhere and out comes a policeman who scolded me by trying to interfere in police work (I told him I was only trying to go home)
He asked me for 2000 for the towing charges and violation of parking in a no parking zone (cant remember how much). I negotiated like crazy on the towing charges and I got sent to a civilian who you immediately know you do not mess around. Meekly paid 1800 and paid the violation charge and left as soon as I could.
There were no no parking signs, there were other cars still there when I discovered my car was missing. I guess I was unfortunate enough to be there at the right time at the right place. There was no notification (there were security guards and the towers could have told where the car was) It was a long time before I figured out where the car was - I initially thought it was stolen! Such unprofessionalism! I still shudder when I think about it, decades afterwards.

[AltoLXI]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

This pickup-and-tow or pickup-and-load-into-truck job is outsourced to 'contractors' (read : some senior thug/goon who employs some junior thugs/goons and calls it towing company - one of the perks of being a senior thug/goon : 'settled' in life into various dubious businesses)

Not only goons but relatives of the personnel who manage traffic.

During the hearing of the PIL, the court found that there were no guidelines for appointing towing contractors. In fact, 16 of the 116 towing companies were owned by relatives of traffic police personnel.

Link

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

This pickup-and-tow or pickup-and-load-into-truck job is outsourced to 'contractors'

Earlier the tow trucks of Bangalore Traffic Police (then called 'Tigers') were operated by traffic police staff only. It should be some where in 2005 time frame that the job of towing was 'out sourced', and the fine collection part remained with the Traffic Police. And before 2005; I was also 'lucky' to get two receipts after my scooter was towed away. One was the fine as per M.V Act, and secondly it was the 'fee' collected for towing the vehicle 8).

Announcement etc is a joke

I have usually noticed one police man (an A.S.I or H.C) who would be there in the vehicle to make the announcements.

The intention is not 'easing traffic' or 'dissuading parking' - the intention is pure 'revenue'.

Note; playing the devil's advocate here. The 'revenue' from such fines goes to the respective state governments. And at least in the three states in South India; there is a clear target given to police officials on the cases to be charged.

Originally Posted by Piyush_DT

It is just corruption.

Was a receipt provided to the violator here? Then chances of this becoming 'corruption' is less, IMHO. How ever if bribe was demanded for releasing the vehicles; that off course becomes corruption.

[Piyush_DT]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Was a receipt provided to the violator here? Then chances of this becoming 'corruption' is less, IMHO. How ever if bribe was demanded for releasing the vehicles; that off course becomes corruption.

He gave me the receipt. There are around 10-12 cabs parked and lined up near Prestige Tech Park, service road on ORR. How come only my car was picked up which is not a cab?

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by Piyush_DT

He gave me the receipt. There are around 10-12 cabs parked and lined up near Prestige Tech Park, service road on ORR. How come only my car was picked up which is not a cab?

Nothing against you here but maybe that drivers were sitting inside the cabs while yours was not. I had such a misfortune once when I had parked to go to ATM and was fined while others were not.

[airbus]

Towing of vehicles in Bengaluru is stopped temporarily until revised policy is in place - News.

After complaints from citizens over the unruly behaviour of towing personnel in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government on Wednesday announced that towing of vehicles will be stopped until a revised policy is brought out in the city.

This is a temporary measure until a new system is put in place, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said after a high-level meeting with the DG and IGP, City Police Commissioner and Joint Commissioner (Traffic).

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by airbus

Towing of vehicles in Bengaluru is stopped temporarily until revised policy is in place - News.

There was similar outcry a few years ago especially with respect to car towing and they had stopped it for sometime after which we got those new tow trucks with a dolly for the tyres. Thank goodness there is a check again by the Chief Minister. Not sure how effective the reforms would be, but after the earlier episode, the towing personnel got more formal with uniforms and they would handle cars better. And vehicles were no longer loaded like commodities at least in my area. Hopefully now we see some actions to prevent corruption in this towing activity, which is very lucrative and hence most police officers at the lower levels prefer to get this posting. After that, they would buy a truck in their relatives name and put them into towing activity. Due to the hike in towing costs and parking fines, it gives them a good avenue to enable negotiations with people to walk away with a lesser fine, which gets pocketed by everyone involved in this system.

[Sebring]

Towing doesn't earn the Govt any revenue. Everything is 'settled' outside the purview of law. I had a ringside view of how things work when my NTORQ was towed from a properly designated parking spot in Jayanagar. Nobody paid a single fine as I could see

Originally Posted by audioholic

Hopefully now we see some actions to prevent corruption in this towing activity, which is very lucrative and hence most police officers at the lower levels prefer to get this posting. After that, they would buy a truck in their relatives name and put them into towing activity. Due to the hike in towing costs and parking fines, it gives them a good avenue to enable negotiations with people to walk away with a lesser fine, which gets pocketed by everyone involved in this system.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

The original Outer Ring Road (ORR) has long been consumed by BLR city, the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) would have helped a lot but still exists only on paper, and the STRR will help to connect the numerous towns (Dobbasapete, Doddaballapura, Devanahalli, Sulibele, Hoskote, Sarjapura, Attibele, Anekal, Tattekere, Kanakapura, Ramanagara and Magadi) which are rapidly expanding themselves.

At this rate, HYD will complete their RRR well before BLR builds the STRR & PRR :

https://www.thehansindia.com/news/ci...derabad-727325

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Latest update with no specific date:

Tumakuru Road flyover to stay shut longer

Hope, against hopes!

Latest update: NHAI will take one more week to open Tumakuru Road flyover

The three-km flyover was shut for traffic on December 25 after National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials found fault in the pre-stressed cables connecting the segments between two pillars.

Later, a detailed inspection showed that cables in eight other pillars had developed a similar problem.