Pingtung's audit office says police tow illegally parked cars mainly on big roads while ignoring alleys, which is bad news for residents and fire crews and good news for drivers who park out of sight.

• Tow trucks working for Pingtung police pulled about 6,500 vehicles in ten months, plus a few hundred from public complaints.
• Mapping showed the tows clustered on a handful of main streets and around the Pingtung train station.
• Auditors warn drivers are simply moving into narrow alleys to dodge enforcement, blocking traffic and fire trucks.
• The uneven enforcement also opens the police to complaints that the rules are not applied fairly.
• Police say they will use a new road-safety data platform to map problem spots and adjust patrols.

Outlook: Expect more tows in Pingtung's back alleys as police start steering patrols by the new data.