Kochi: ‘No more haphazard parking of trucks on container road’ says collector
KOCHI: With the new parking facility being provided, steps will be taken to ensure container trucks are not parked along the Vallarpadam Container Road, District Collector Mohammed Y Safirulla has said. The collector visited the parking space set up for container trucks near the International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam on Saturday and reviewed the arrangements there. “Enforcement activities will be made stringent to ensure container trucks are parked at the space set up at Vallarpadam,” Safirulla told Express.
“We have already imposed a ban on parking of trucks on both sides of the Container Road, where several accidents were reported recently. However, some vehicles are still being parked on the roadside and steps will be taken for strict enforcement of the ban. The parking lot at Vallarpadam has the space to accomodate a good number of trailers coming to ICTT,” he said. Safirulla said the local bodies have been directed to install street lights near the container terminal.
“The matter has been discussed with the local self-governing bodies. Some technical issues are causing the delay. Providing electricity on this stretch is another challenge being faced by the authorities concerned,” he said. The parking space has been set up by the district administration, with the support of BPCL, on the 4-acre plot opposite to ICTT, Vallarpadam.
“We expect more container trucks will make use of the facility,” the collector said. BPCL General Manager George Thomas, Assistant Manager (Sales) Donny George Varghese, and Sajith P, Assistant Manager (Construction), also accompanied the District Collector during his visit to the parking space.
lThe parking space is set up on the 4-acre plot opposite to theVallarpadam ICTT
lAccording to BPCL officers, as many as 200 containers - 100 trailers of 20 ft length and 100 container trucks of 40 ft long - can be parked hereat a time.
lToilet facilities have been arranged near the parking space.
lBPCL also plans to construct a food court here, with dormitory facilityfor truck driverss. It has deployed security persons and installed CCTV cameras in the area.
lBPCL has invested Rs 9 crore for arranging the parking space.
lCurrently, BPCL charges Rs 200 for 40-ft long containers and Rs 150for 20-ft containers for 24-hour parking.