The transport department will soon establish dedicated holding areas and a detention centre in Lucknow to keep vehicles seized for illegal operations and overloading. The move is aimed at ending the long-standing problem of enforcement officials struggling to find space at police stations after carrying out action on roads, officials said.
Enforcement teams currently face difficulties in parking seized vehicles after roadside checks, often having to move from one police station to another in search of space. Due to inadequate parking capacity at police stations, officials are often forced to issue challans and release vehicles instead of detaining them. In several cases, such vehicles were later found involved in accidents or traffic-related incidents, raising questions over alleged lapses in enforcement.
To address the issue, the government has issued orders to establish detention centres and holding areas for seized vehicles in the state capital. Authorities also plan to use the holding areas for vehicles found parked along roadsides and causing traffic hazards or accidents.
Confirming the development, assistant regional transport officer (enforcement) Pawan Kumar Yadav said a departmental detention centre near Ahimamau has already been prepared and is expected to become operational within the next 15 to 20 days.
“The holding areas will be a big relief for us because enforcement teams can now immediately seize vehicles without having to worry about space constraints,” he said.
Officials said six locations have already been identified for the holding areas, though efforts are underway to identify additional government land for future expansion.
Two of the proposed holding areas have been identified in Mohanlalganj, while the remaining locations are in Ghaila, western Lucknow and Faizabad Road areas.
“Locations have been selected in almost every direction of the city. Any additional government land identified in future will also be converted into holding areas so that illegal vehicles can be dealt with strictly,” Yadav added.
The district administration has assigned the responsibility of developing four of these holding areas to the municipal corporation, while the transport department will develop the remaining two.
Officials said the departmental detention centre near Ahimamau is nearing completion and will have the capacity to accommodate more than 100 vehicles.
A holding area is a designated space where vehicles seized during enforcement drives are temporarily parked by transport or traffic authorities. A detention centre is a secured facility where illegal, overloaded or unauthorised vehicles are kept for a longer duration until legal formalities, penalties or court-related procedures are completed.
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