CHENNAI: The Chennai Metro Rail is currently witnessing an average of 60,000 passengers every day against the previous patronage of 30,000 before the service was extended till Chennai Central in May, this year. It still leaves a lot to be desired as the patronage should have been at least five lakh, according to the project report of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).
Lack of parking facilities remains one of the major reasons why commuters have been avoiding the facility. While three metro stations — AG-DMS, CMBT and Chennai Central — do not have parking facility at all, four-wheeler parking is not available at nine metro stations.
When CE visited the metro stations, the situation was found to be appalling. Even Metro stations that have parking space have operational issues. Both two-and four-wheelers are illegally parked outside the AG-DMS Metro station that has no parking facility. “At least 30 two-wheelers are parked on the pavement every day. Cars are parked behind AG-DMS bus stop. Even the police do not tow away vehicles,” said an auto driver outside the Metro station. The station has a footfall of 1,600 commuters on an average per day.
At the Vadapalani Metro station parking lot, where 1,200 bikes are parked every day, there is no facility for four-wheelers. “While two-wheelers going to Forum Mall park here to avoid exorbitant parking fares at the mall, four-wheelers go on to park in the mall even if they are taking the Metro. On Saturdays, at least 50 people ask us for four-wheeler parking and complain that they are forced to do this,” said an official at the parking lot.
Anna Nagar Tower Metro station, however, has ample space for two-wheeler parking, but remains unused. Most of the motorists park their bikes on Second Avenue, which is infamous for encroachments. The police do not tow vehicles here.
Despite having four-wheeler parking facility at Nehru Park Metro station, cars are sent to another parking space (maintained by the same contractor) about half a kilometre away on weekends. “On Saturdays and Sundays, we get a lot of bikes as a theatre is located right next to the station. So, we send cars to that space,” said the workman at the parking.
The plight is alike at almost all the Metro stations. When contacted, a senior official from CMRL said there is absolutely no space for parking anywhere except Central Metro station.In 2011, a study by Transparent Chennai, an NGO, warned about the lack of adequate space for Metro. “As the Metro runs through the commercial belt, which is already short of parking space, provisions for vehicular parking space will be critical for its success. It will make a huge impact on its surrounding land-use, road pattern, traffic and lives of the people. Without adequate planning for parking space, roads abutting the Metro line may see the flooding of vehicles as the parking space in the Metro stations premises may not have the capacity to satisfy the needs of the expected ridership,” it said.