Gariahat parking enforcement has intensified ahead of Durga Puja, with Kolkata Traffic Police conducting special raids on RB Avenue and Amir Ali Avenue to remove illegal parking and prevent extortion linked to parking spaces.
The drive is being carried out by at least 15 officers through the day, according to information from Lalbazar. Traffic police are recording around 30 to 40 cases of illegal parking daily in the area. The southeast traffic guard is also receiving 10 to 15 complaints a day through Dial 100 during the run-up to the festival season.
Residents have complained about illegal parking blocking access to their homes, while other complaints relate to alleged parking extortion and rash driving during parking manoeuvres. An officer said complaints of parking extortion had so far been limited and had produced little material evidence, but the police were acting to prevent the problem from expanding.
“Illegal parking invites parking extortion. Hence, we want to control illegal parking to curb extortion,” the officer said. Police have adopted a zero-tolerance policy on RB Avenue, particularly along the stretch between Triangular Park and the Bijan Setu approach.
The enforcement challenge is linked to the limited supply of parking in the Gariahat area. There are around 90 parking slots below the flyover on both sides and another 180-odd slots on the main roads, according to the report. Police are also penalising motorists who wait for an occupied space to become available, treating the practice as illegal parking because it can obstruct traffic movement.
The crackdown is being expanded into preparations for Durga Puja crowd management. Several puja organisers have approached the police seeking additional parking arrangements, and traffic officials have been instructed to identify parking zones well in advance and seek feedback from organisers about locally available spaces.
Motorists and pandal visitors have previously complained that official parking areas can leave them walking between one and two kilometres to reach major pandals. Police have identified at least seven pandals, mainly in central and south Kolkata, where they expect visitor numbers to rise by at least 50 per cent.
Traffic officials are examining whether smaller roads and bylanes can be used for additional parking, while stating that local residents should not be inconvenienced. Inputs have also been sought from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The police said the main operational challenge would be balancing vehicular movement, pedestrian flow and parking, especially where newer attractions are located near established, high-footfall pujas.
The areas being assessed include Park Street, which has emerged as a new puja destination, and Chetla-Alipore, alongside established attractions in Kidderpore, Behala and Santoshpur. All traffic guards have been asked to prepare circulation reports for newer pandals. Lalbazar has instructed them to submit lists of alternative parking locations, which officials plan to review by the end of the month.
