Illegal parking continues to choke several key areas of Kolkata, worsening traffic congestion during peak hours and inconveniencing daily commuters. In a bid to address the issue at the start of the new year, Kolkata Traffic Police has rolled out a series of measures, with a special focus on curbing haphazard parking in the Dalhousie Square area.
On Wednesday, senior police officials inspected Dalhousie Square, where the administration has decided to install railings along the middle of the road to prevent illegal parking and reduce the risk of accidents. The move follows growing concerns over frequent traffic bottlenecks and unsafe road conditions in the area.
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The decision stems from a meeting of the District Security Committee held on December 27 last year, which discussed the problem of illegal parking across the city. During the meeting, police advised the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to install new railings on several major roads, including Hemanta Basu Sarani, NS Road and RN Mukherjee Road, and to repair existing damaged railings. Officials believe the railings will restrict indiscriminate road crossing by pedestrians and significantly lower accident risks.
Measures to curb reckless crossing on Red Road
In addition to Dalhousie, strict steps are also being planned to prevent reckless road crossing along Red Road. The police have proposed installing gates at vacant gaps and cut-outs on both sides of the road. To expedite the process, discussions are underway with the Public Works Department (PWD), the Officer-in-Charge of South Traffic Guard and the Army. Lalbazar aims to complete the installation at the earliest.
Special surveillance on key roads
Kolkata Traffic Police has also stepped up surveillance on three major stretches—Netaji Subhas Road, the India Exchange Place area and Bentinck Street. Regular patrolling is being carried out to ensure that vehicles are not parked haphazardly or in multiple rows. Officials say stopping two- or three-row parking will help widen the roads and ensure smoother traffic flow.
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Challenges remain on the ground
Despite intensified enforcement, violations continue to be reported from several areas. In parts of Dalhousie, vehicles are still being parked on footpaths, while in some locations motorcycles are blocking entrances to large office buildings. According to police personnel, patrolling alone is not enough to curb the problem. They believe that imposing heavier fines on violators will be crucial to bringing lasting discipline to city roads.
