Misery for bike owners! What is happening at Kollam railway station?

KOLLAM: Around 10 bikes were stolen from different parts of the city within a week. Last day, three bikes were stolen from the temporary parking area near the East Police Station. No serious actions have been initiated despite the many complaints that have reached the police.

On April 30, three bikes belonging to Chavara native Unni, one loco pilot and a Thiruvananthapuram native, went missing from the parking lot. Unni parked his bike at seven that morning and went to work in Thiruvananthapuram. When he reached the place at 7 pm, there was no trace of his vehicle.

The parking officials initially asked Unni to look everywhere on the premises and gave him hope. But suspicion soon crept in when two more people approached the officials reporting about their missing bikes. The rising cases left the parking authorities in shock while the three people who lost the bike complained to the East Police.

Most of the bike riders who reach the railway station find comfort in parking their vehicle on the roadside; to evade the parking fees. Despite repeated warnings from police, this practice continues. Miscreants in this region mostly resort to fuel theft, unhooking essential mechanical parts from the vehicle and many others. The temporary parking facility associated with the railway station has four employees.

The contractor for the parking was asked to install a surveillance camera as per the terms with the Railways. Three months ago, the police had also warned that CCTVs should be installed in the parking lot. This has not been followed yet.