Nagpur traffic police clear about 300 abandoned vehicles from roads in three days

Nagpur's roads and footpaths are getting some breathing room. In a month-long special drive across the city, traffic police have removed about 300 abandoned vehicles in just three days. The aim is to reclaim public space from vehicles that have been lying in place for months.

The drive began on the directions of DCP (Traffic) Aditya Mirkhelkar. It aims to address the steady shrinking of usable road space in the city. In busy commercial areas, abandoned cars and two-wheelers have been parked permanently by the roadside. As a result, roads have narrowed, footpaths are blocked and pedestrians have to walk very close to moving traffic.

Traffic police have first focused on the large commercial areas of Sitabuldi, Cotton Market and Sadar, where roadside parking pressure is already high. After removing about 300 vehicles in the first three days, the department is preparing to take the action to other parts of Nagpur.

Mirkhelkar said the drive will be intensified in the coming days. He said abandoned vehicles add to traffic congestion and create a risk of accidents. He said the purpose is to keep roads and pedestrian paths free for use and to stop unused vehicles from turning them into unauthorised dumping grounds.

Police are following a set procedure to remove the vehicles. They first trace the owners and persuade them to remove the vehicle themselves. If ownership details are not found or the owners cannot be traced, the vehicles are towed away.

Citizens are also being involved in the drive. Their help is being used to identify vehicles that have been lying for many days but escape everyday notice. About 80 complaints have already reached the traffic department on WhatsApp. This shows citizens' willingness to take part in reclaiming public space.

To encourage public participation, traffic police have launched an initiative called 'Nagpur Ka Traffic Hero'. Citizens who report the most abandoned vehicles during the month-long drive will be felicitated with a special certificate. The idea is to make residents partners in traffic management rather than leaving the responsibility only to the personnel who take action.

Citizens who want to report an abandoned vehicle can send photographs of the vehicle and its exact location on WhatsApp to 9356847314. This can also be done through the Nagpur Police chatbot. Users should open the chatbot on WhatsApp, select the 'Abandoned Vehicle' option and upload the photographs and location. Traffic personnel will then go to the reported location and begin the process of removing the vehicle.

With hundreds of vehicles already removed, work has begun on an overlooked cause of traffic congestion in the city. The real test lies ahead, however: whether the cleared space stays free of abandoned vehicles after the special drive ends. The message for Nagpur's pedestrians and motorists is clear: public roads and footpaths are meant for movement, not for long-term storage of unwanted vehicles.