Mangaluru :  The police to take seriously people parking vehicles on footpaths in the city and impose fine on wrong-doers, said Mayor Premananda Shetty on Monday.

Speaking at a co-ordination meeting called by him to address traffic management issues, the Mayor said that the civic body will extend to the police the necessary cooperation in the matter.

The Mayor said that several roads in the city have been widened and footpaths have been constructed. But some people parked their four-wheelers and two-wheelers on footpaths causing trouble to pedestrians.

Earlier in the meeting, some councillors pointed out the increasing number of such incidents in the city. Some demanded that such vehicles should be towed away to traffic police stations.

Mr. Shetty said that the civic body will join hands with the police in creating awareness among people not to violate traffic rules. It will install some sign boards to create awareness among people.

Representing civil society, G.K. Bhat said that a vehicle should be exclusively devoted to create awareness on traffic rules throughout the day in different parts of the city. The vehicle should make public announcement through loud speakers.

The Mayor instructed the officials of the civic body to ensure that marriage halls made proper arrangements for parking vehicles. They can hire nearby vacant sites on marriage day. If vacant space of the corporation is available nearby, they can apply to the corporation, pay a fee for hiring the space for the marriage day. The step is to avoid roadside parking thereby causing inconvenience to road users.

The meeting discussed the traffic woes in the Service Bus Stand and the Hampankatta area but did not take any particular decision on ending them.

Commissioner of the corporation Akshy Sridhar said that an Executive Engineer of the corporation will be made the co-ordinator to deal with traffic-related issues with police.

Councillor Naveen R. D’Souza and others spoke on the mushrooming of roadside vendors on the road between Father Muller Hospital and Nandigudda and traffic issues on the Falnir Road.

Councillor and former Mayor M. Shashidhar Hegde suggested that the corporation have a policy on traffic management. It can ask the National Institute of Technology-Surathkal (NIT-K) to study traffic and road issues scientifically and submit a traffic management plan.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Crime) B.P. Dinesh Kumar spoke.