Police auctions abandoned vehicles; onlookers violate social distancing norms

By Ritika Srivatsan

On September 6, huge crowds gathered for hours on 27^th Main, near HSR Layout Police Station to participate in the much-anticipated two-wheeler auction. While the police took the bids for the abandoned vehicles, the teeming onlookers violated social distancing norms, and risked everybody. The police were unable to manage despite being present in significant numbers.

The auction took place at HSR’s busiest street, filled with commercial stores and restaurants. Therefore, it was essential for the police force to plan ahead of time and map out various situations because an event like this, is bound to attract people, even if they are not bidding for any vehicle.

1. Necessary spaces could have been barricaded to prevent congregations of numbers larger than the 50 people who had the tokens.
2. Loud speakers should have been used to constantly remind the individuals that the virus is still very much present and social distancing and facial protection rules should be taken seriously.
3. Marks indicating where a person should stand to enforce social distancing would have significantly reduced the chances of contact.
4. Hand sanitisers could have been placed to ensure basic hand hygiene.

It would be unfair to say that the police did not make sufficient attempts at dispersing the crowd. Often, the police would reinforce social distancing norms by asking the viewers to step aside. Uncouth citizens were driven away with ‘lathis’ (sticks) but to no avail. They would take one step back, and five steps forward, into the main area, standing in close contact with other citizens and officials. Those who refuse to comply with rules can only be dealt with strictly but perhaps, had this been organised neatly, the need to police them may have never arisen.

A Bullet Was Sold For Rs 55,000!

The process for participating in such events start with the interested individuals paying a deposit set by the government, varying from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000. Tokens are handed out after payment with a maximum cap of 50 tokens, and then the bidding begins.

About 46 bikes and scooters with a pre-decided base price were put up for sale, and intense offers were placed, with each individual one-upping the other. Often, not all bikes displayed at these auctions are worth buying, and are simply scrapped. However, high value motorcycles such as KTM Dukes and Royal Enfield’s Bullet elicit much excitement and competition from the bidders. As per sources, all the vehicles were sold, with the highest bid going for a Bullet at Rs 55,000.

“Those who have purchased a vehicle will be given time to pay the money but if they eventually refrain, there will be a case against them,” a senior police officer told Residents Watch. The cost of the vehicle will be reduced by Rs 5000 as the deposit is counted but if one doesn’t buy, the full deposit is returned. Abandoned vehicles is a big problem in the city, and the cops conduct routine drives to remove them from the city’s footpaths and roads.