The new small crane acquired by Patna traffic police to clear snarls on thoroughfares. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Motorists can expect a smooth drive down Station Road from this Sunday, as the city traffic police have planned to resume its crackdown on illegally parked vehicles on thoroughfares in the state capital.

The drive, which was launched in November last year, was aborted midway. This time, the traffic police have arranged for a small wrecker and aim to de-clog the congested Station Road, which remains chaotic round-the-clock owing to haphazardly parked vehicles.

Patna traffic superintendent of police (SP) Chandrika Prasad told The Telegraph on Friday: “Starting Sunday, the police will start finding ways to get rid of the traffic snarls along the Station Road area.”

“This crane is smaller than the others the police have taken on lease from Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) for use. Generally, a bigger crane towing vehicles leads to traffic jam on the roads. The police want to keep the roads free of congestion and hence, a smaller crane has been taken on lease. The drive against illegally parked vehicles in the form of towing them away has not been conducted in a long time. Motorists are casual about wrong parking. The drive will start from Station Road on Sunday and will be conducted throughout the city,” added Prasad.

Sources said traffic policemen have three leased big cranes at present. “One among them has been placed at Zero Mile, while two are presently in the town and are used whenever necessary,” another police officer said.

The cranes in the town area, sources said, have not been used for months.

“The drive was last conducted in November last year. When the chief minister’s carcade passes, the cranes are placed at strategic locations to ensure that no vehicle gets stranded,” a source said.

Prasad said the police were serious regarding the drive. “We will now focus on Station Road first before moving to Gandhi Maidan and Kargil Chowk areas,” the officer said.

During the November drive, the police had said erring motorists would have to pay the towing charge of Rs 200 under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1958, apart from the fine for wrong parking. Wrong parking/parking in no-parking zones calls for a fine of Rs 100 (if the driver is present) and Rs 500 (in absentia).