On 20 March, a video recorded by a passerby in Sector 50 market of a car being towed by Noida Authority towing vehicle, with two senior citizens still inside, got viral. In the red hatch back the elderly couple was seen pleading with the attendants for the release of vehicle by joining hands. This led to expressions of shock and debate by netizens.
Noida Authority was quick to issue a statement: “Following the instructions of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Noida authority, an Officer on Special Duty (OSD), has ordered the Deputy General Manager (DGM) to file a police report against the contractor involved in the incident.” They also released a press statement, condemning the incident and also informed of Rs. 50,000 as penalty on the agency given the contract of managing the surface parking in Sector-50 market. It also issued a show cause notice to explain why they should not be blacklisted. They mentioned that this illegal towing away the car to the parking lot of Logix Mall, Sector 32, had tarnished authority’s reputation.
As per news reports, the affected couple were getting photocopy of few medical documents of heart ailment, of the senior citizen lady, to show it in a hospital and hurriedly parked the car, unaware of the obscured No-Parking sign. When they returned in five minutes, they found the car being lifted for towing. It led to arguments and pleading by the couple and the passers-by but the attendants didn’t relent, and towed away the vehicle. It is to be noted that as per regulations, if there are people inside a parked vehicle in a no-parking zone, it cannot be towed. Moreover, Noida Authority in their press release accepted the fact that there have been incidences of misbehavior and forceful extortion of money by the agency people.
But the question is: Have we become so inhuman and commercial in our dealing with fellow citizens, that we have forgotten to respect age, gender, medical conditions, exigencies and special requirements of general public; personal egos and money making has taken preference? There are unwritten rules for empathy, compassion and sensitivity which make us cultured and civilized, and there should not have been a need for condemnation and action by public and authority, as there is always a scope of leniency in implementation of rules subject to circumstances. The incidence also highlights the lack of training of the outsourced agency and the parking assistants in particular, and helplessness of a public organization to contain misbehavior and disobedience by an agency hired for the job of providing convenience to the people.
While and actions and reactions may continue, the bottom-line is that all concerned must ensure that such humiliating and harassing incidents should not reoccur, and the public service agencies must act for the comfort of citizens, and not against it.
