Bengaluru: As many as 1,581 abandoned vehicles have been identified across Bengaluru so far, and the number is expected to rise as the survey continues, Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda said Friday while launching the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) drive to remove such vehicles from public spaces.Byre Gowda said the vehicles’ owners had already been given sufficient time to act. “We had warned people nearly two weeks ago, but many have still not removed their vehicles,” he said.Under the drive, owners will be given one week after a notice sticker is affixed to remove their vehicles. “Even after a vehicle is towed, its owner can reclaim it by paying the penalty and towing charges. If nobody comes forward even after a public notice is issued, the vehicle will be auctioned,” he said.The minister also urged citizens to report abandoned vehicles through the Public Eye feature on the BTP-ASTraM app.However, the minister did not clarify whether the campaign would also target the vehicles illegally parked on footpaths, despite the ongoing Safe Footpath Campaign.Joint commissioner of police (traffic) Karthik Reddy told TOI the department is continuing its regular enforcement against illegal parking. “We are imposing fines regularly, and enforcement is at its highest. We have been repeatedly issuing advisories to motorists,” he said. He added that each of the five city corporations has provided two towing vehicles each, enabling the authorities to tow around 20-25 vehicles a day in each corporation.Reddy said traffic constables report around 20,000 traffic violations, most of them related to no-parking offences, and the department is also focusing on one-way violations. However, he did not specify whether a dedicated drive against vehicles parked on footpaths would accompany the abandoned vehicle campaign.Pavement blocked near KPCC officeBarely a few metres from the venue where minister Krishna Byre Gowda flagged off the abandoned vehicle removal drive on Queens Road, several vehicles were found parked on the footpath, obstructing pedestrian movement, in front of the Congress party office. Dozens of two-wheelers, including police motorcycles, were parked on the footpath leading to the KPCC office, leaving little space for people to walk. Outside the office, a campaign truck registered in Thrissur and carrying images of Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and CM DK Shivakumar, highlighting students’ issues, was also parked on the footpath.
