Police and the district administration will create awareness about parking and no-parking zones among residents before bringing back jam busters (tow trucks) into service next month.

Jam busters were launched on Patna roads last August to check unauthorised parking in the city. However, the service was suspended on May 9 following complaints that vehicles parked in authorised zones were also being towed away, causing residents trouble.

Patna divisional commissioner Anand Kishor chaired a meeting in his office on Tuesday with officials from traffic and civic bodies to decide on identifying parking and no-parking zones, marking them properly and spreading awareness on putting the jam busters into service.

At the meeting it was decided that the parking zones will be painted yellow and boards would be put up. "Once we identify the parking and no-parking zones with proper signboards, the services of the jam busters will start," said Kishor.

The jam buster service will resume from June 11.

Boring Road resident Raghav Sharan said: "People were afraid of driving to crowded areas such as markets, as first there were no parking zones and second, everyone was fearful that vehicles parked on the roads would be towed away by the jam busters."

Sources said the district administration put brakes on the jam busters after complaints of vehicles being towed away wrongfully, or towed away because people were not aware which was a parking zone and which was not. Traffic superintendent of police (SP) P.K. Das denied it, claiming no vehicle was towed away from parking zones.

He, instead claimed, the services were stopped on May 9 to work out better modalities to enforce the service.

Now, to set up parking and no-parking zones, a committee comprising the traffic SP, regional transport authority secretary, executive engineer of the New Capital division of PMC will identify areas. Kishor said: "There will be more parking zones for the convenience of the people. The parking zones will be well defined so that there is no confusion."

The district administration has already created new parking zones at Malahi Pakri in Kankerbagh, and zones have been identified at Exhibition Road near Ram Gulam Chowk.

The divisional commissioner's meeting also decided on removing nurseries near parking zones in the Boring Road roundabout area, and reduce the circle near Jagdeo Path roundabout.