Mumbai:
The city traffic police have initiated the process to identify owners of unclaimed vehicles towed away for traffic violations. The office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) has instructed its officials to prepare a list of unclaimed vehicles to begin the process.
"Unclaimed vehicles have been a problem for us since several years. Unlike city police, several such vehicles are lying at various outposts in the city which are proving to be a major problem for us," said DCP (Traffic) Vijay Patil.
The cops have to depend on RTO to trace the owners of such vehicles. Information about the vehicles like chassis and engine numbers has been supplied to RTO for further action. "Once the owners are traced, the vehicles would be handed over to them after completion of the prescribed procedure. And if the owners are not traced, the vehicles are auctioned as per government norms," Patil said.
Several unclaimed two-wheelers at various traffic police outposts across the city have posed logistic issues for the police department. These vehicles not only occupy space but also need to be guarded as per the rules, till the owners claim them. "Most of our time is consumed guarding these vehicles. There are possibilities that they might be stolen and abandoned, which are eventually towed away since found in no parking zone. If this is the case, then the due procedure will have to be followed for further action," said a traffic police official. Possibilities of the vehicles being stolen are very high as the rightful owners of the vehicles never abandon them at police outposts.
"We have observed that legitimate owners of such vehicles produce required documents and claim them within a day or two. Whereas a thief would not bother whether the vehicle is seized by the police or auctioned after being towed away," the official remarked.
Taking serious note of the issue, Patil has instructed officials to prepare a list of such vehicle and start proceedings to either trace owners or to auction the vehicles. "The process will be completed soon and action will be taken in the matter," Patil added.
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