Beleghata: Residents living near Beleghata police station have complained that vehicles seized by police and parked along the road have taken up a considerable portion of the carriageway.
Posting a picture of the road near CIT More, Sharadwat Majumdar, who stays in an apartment complex right opposite the police station, wrote on the Facebook page of Kolkata Traffic Police: "This is front of Beleghata Police Station in CIT more where I stay. The police station has turned the main road into a vehicle... junkyard. Narrowing the lanes and this poses an extreme risk to us locals driving here regularly. Requesting you to please see into this with urgency and get the vehicles removed from the road. Have complained earlier as well but no action taken. Have tagged others in the locality as well."
In response, "Team KTP" commented: "Thanks for the post. We are sending your complaint to the concerned traffic guard for further course of action."
At least five residents backed Sharadwat's complaint. "I agree with you Sharadwat Majumdar .. kolkata Traffic Police should solve this issue as soon as possible as it is becoming difficult day by day," wrote Manosh Patra. Another resident, Ankit Jiswal, urged "prompt measures".
At least 30 impounded vehicles, with smashed lights and windshields, missing doors and blunted bonnets are parked along a 400m stretch of SC Deb Lane, which leads to Swabhumi and EM Bypass. The vehicles take up three lanes - two on one side of the road and one on the other - leaving just one lane for traffic to pass.
Businessman Manosh Patra who stays in the locality and drives to work said the problem compounds at night when police vans are parked next to the the vehicles.
Among the vehicles parked on Thursday was a hydraulic crane that was set on fire by a mob on November 2 after it knocked down Class VIII student Sweta Das, killing her.
An officer of Beleghata police station pleaded helplessness. "We don't have a separate facility to keep impounded vehicles. We have no option but to park the vehicles on the road," said the officer.
An officer of the Beleghata traffic guard said over 200 motorcycles that had been parked near the police station's main gate had been taken to the scrap yard recently. "The vehicles parked now have met with accidents or have been seized recently. We cannot move them without court orders," said the officer.