VIJAYAWADA: In order to prevent any untoward incident from happening ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and South Central Railway (SCR) officials organised a massive drive against unauthorised and abandoned vehicles parked for long periods in the railway station premises. In a press release issued here on Wednesday, SCR spokesperson Ch Rakesh said that an intensive drive, ‘Operation Number Plate’ was conducted by the RPF at 37 railway stations under the SCR zone between August 9 and 11.
In major railway stations such as Secunderabad, Warangal, Vijayawada, Gudur, Tenali, Eluru and Samalkot, drives were conducted to clear illegal parking of vehicles in the Railway premises. During this drive, a large number of vehicles which were lying unattended for more than three to six months were also found, he said.
At present, details of the vehicle owners are being traced out and the vehicles are being handed over to bona fide owners after due verification. The remaining vehicles will be soon removed from the railway premises in coordination with the traffic and local police, following the legal procedure. This drive will help in decongesting the circulating areas and allow better security cover in and around the station.
“During the drive, officials identified one four-wheeler and 628 two-wheelers in the railway premises lying unattended for more than five days. Around 27 two-wheelers and one four-wheeler owner have been given their vehicles. Further, 129 two-wheelers have been towed away with the cooperation of the local police authorities,” Rakesh said. Investigation is underway for the leftover 470 vehicles and they will also be handed over or disposed after due legal formalities.