Hyderabad plans towing policy for illegal parking

Hyderabad: The Telangana Transport Department has drafted a new policy to tackle illegal parking and abandoned vehicles on roads. The proposal has been sent to the government for approval.

The department said the draft was prepared following Supreme Court directions to improve road safety and reduce traffic congestion. Officials said vehicles parked indiscriminately and broken-down vehicles left on roads for days were causing traffic snarls and accidents across the state.

After government approval, the draft policy will be placed in the public domain to invite suggestions and objections before implementation.

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Vehicles left on roads may face auction after 45 days

Under the proposed policy, authorities can tow vehicles parked in no-parking zones, on footpaths, or in a manner obstructing traffic. Broken-down vehicles abandoned on roads will also be removed.

Vehicle owners will have to pay towing charges along with daily parking fees at designated yards. The draft also proposes mandatory clearance of pending challans, road tax, fitness certificates, insurance dues and other penalties before release of the vehicle.

If owners fail to claim seized vehicles within 30 to 45 days, the authorities may auction them.

Transport department proposes PPP parking yards

The Transport Department has proposed separate towing and parking charges for urban and rural areas. It also plans to establish modern parking yards under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, citing shortage of space for seized vehicles.

According to the proposal, towing charges in urban areas may range from ₹500 for two-wheelers to ₹8,000 for heavy trucks. In rural areas, the charges may range from ₹300 to ₹6,000 depending on the vehicle category.

Daily parking charges have also been proposed. Two-wheelers may attract ₹20-30 per day, while buses could be charged ₹200-300 per day.

Proposed towing charges