Cops slap extortion cases on fleecing parking attendants

Kolkata: In a crackdown on the parking mafia fleecing motorists, the traffic wing of Kolkata Police has started slapping extortion cases on attendants found overcharging people. Three such cases have been registered against errant parking attendants in the drive launched by KMC and Kolkata Police. Police have also stepped up their drive to book motorists for illegal parking. Traffic guards overseeing commercial and hospital zones have read out the riot act to parking attendants. Parking agencies will not only be booked for not following the norms but might also be blacklisted by the KMC and reported to police for legal steps, said an official. Police have also been instructed to file cases following motorists’ complaints. A KMC car parking department official said their inspectors at borough levels would visit major parking zones, record the number of illegally parked vehicles, speak to motorists and get a feedback on attendants fleecing motorists, especially in busy hours. “We have asked car parking agencies to charge the exact fees. At the same time, the inspectors have been asked to locate the illegally parked cars and prepare a borough-wise report on such irregularities. Based on the reports, we will initiate action against errant parking agencies,” he said. In the stretch between Gariahat and Ballygunge Phari, which witnesses am average of 30-odd cases of illegal parking, police booked over 65 errant motorists on Wednesday. Between Park Circus and Park Street, around 1,142 motorists were charged with illegal parking on Wednesday. Traffic guards proposed that every parking attendant should carry a rate chart and a map of the designated parking area to avoid confusion. They have also asked for proper display of rate charts at the parking areas. The attendants should to report all POS device-related issues to both KMC and local police instantly, said an official.Cop action on ground on Tuesday and Wednesday—between Exide and Minto Park and JL Nehru Road to Middleton Street and again between Gariahat Road and Rashbehari Avenue or on APC Road-Rabindra Sarani—came after senior Lalbazar officers directed traffic guards to end the harassment faced by motorists. “We are collecting a status report on the functioning of the machines, black spots of the network and the absence of rate chart display boards. We will send the report to agencies. It will be a periodical drill. Agencies have been told to fix the damaged display boards on Park Street,” said an officer from Lalbazar.