Over 55,000 challans issued as traffic police, MCD crack down on encroachments, illegal parking

The operation covered 144 locations across Delhi, focusing on busy markets and arterial roads.

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More than 55,000 challans were issued and over 3,100 vehicles were impounded or towed during a week-long anti-encroachment and unauthorised parking drive conducted to decongest pavements and roads and ease traffic flow.

The Delhi Traffic Police said on Wednesday that the action was taken at 144 locations across Delhi between June 1 and June 7, with intensive operations carried out from June 3 to June 6 in all traffic circles and ranges in coordination with the MCD.

The drive focused on major arterial roads, market areas, footpaths, service lanes, parking influence zones and other traffic-sensitive locations where encroachments and illegal parking were disrupting traffic flow and posing safety risks.

“As part of the enforcement action, 55,532 challans were issued against motorists and other violators found obstructing roads and compromising traffic movement,’ Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vijayanta Goyal Arya said in a statement.

The officer said 3,123 vehicles that were abandoned, illegally parked or obstructing carriageways and footpaths were impounded or towed away to designated yards.

The authorities also removed 1,264 encroachments, such as temporary kiosks, occupying roads and footpaths and cleared 1,015 other encroachments, including temporary kiosks, unauthorised commercial displays, illegal extensions and other structures obstructing public movement.

Police said unauthorised parking significantly reduces the effective width of roads, creates bottlenecks and affects traffic circulation, particularly around busy markets and commercial hubs.

“In the first phase, enforcement efforts were concentrated around six identified locations—Spark Mall in Kamla Nagar, M-Block Market in Greater Kailash-I, Hauz Khas, Qutub Road, Nizamuddin Basti and Parade Ground,” the officer said.

He also said that the second phase of the drive will focus on locations including Max Hospital in Saket, Church Mission Road, Pushp Vihar Road, Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, Yousuf Sarai-Green Park area, Alaknanda Commercial Complex, areas near the Community Centre and Sabzi Mandi in Geeta Colony, the Car Bazar area in Laxmi Nagar, locations near the Geeta Colony boundary wall and areas around Karkardooma Courts.

“The campaign was necessitated by the increasing impact of encroachments and improper parking on road safety, pedestrian mobility and emergency response operations,” the officer added.