Watch: Forget fines, China cops use valet robots to place illegally parked cars

Clamping tyres on illegally parked vehicles the world over may act as a strong deterrent for motorists but do not serve the essential purpose of removing such vehicles. Imposing penalties too does not ensure that the vehicle is removed from the said area. And towing is often not possible in congested areas. The solution? Why, robot valets of course.

Cops in many Chinese cities have started deploying a wheeled platform - popularly referred to as robot valets - that slides under an illegally parked vehicle. It clamps onto the tyres and underbody of this vehicle in order to re-park it at an appropriate location.

There are several stated benefits of using this wheeled platform instead of a conventional towing vehicle. For starters, it has a small footprint and can be easily navigated to where an illegally parked vehicle is at. It supports remote operation which allows for better adjustment, minimising the chances of damage to the vehicle that needs to be towed. And significantly, the platform allows for an illegally parked vehicle to be towed forward, back, sideways or even rotated 360 degrees if required.

Local police officials have been using this platform on a trial basis to remove illegally parked vehicles and relocate these to designated parking zones. But it is not just about re parking as erring motorists are then also issued a fine and also have to pay parking fees for where their vehicles are relocated to. As such, this too can act be a very strong deterrent and may prove its worth in congested parts of global cities.