Nearly 110 vehicles fined Rs 66,000 for haphazard parking in Vellore

VELLORE: Collector P Kumaravel Pandian acting on complaints from the public ordered an encroachment removal drive on Arcot Road in front of the CMC Hospital on Thursday. Police on orders from SP S Rajesh Kannan immediately swung into action and removed banners, bill boards and equipment put on platforms by shops resulting in pedestrians being forced to walk on the road leading to traffic bottlenecks in front of CMC Hospital. Aided by municipal workers police fined 110 vehicles a total of Rs 66,000 for haphazard parking and also removed stoves, dough mixing tables and machinery which were taken away by the Corporation staff. Though a similar drive a few days earlier resulted in 120 vehicles being fined, the encroachers were back within a few hours. Officials admitted that traffic congestion in front of the CMC gate leading to Gandhi Road on the other side of Arcot Road would ease only if the much-touted pedestrian subway became a reality.