KOCHI: The Xavier Arakkal Road may not be known to many people in the city, but almost all Kochiites would have used the stretch.
The road in front of North Railway Station which links the railway station to Banerji Road often very busy, as it is used by railway passengers.
Despite the road being one of the important roads in the city as it connects the railway station to the other parts of the city, several people are illegally parking their vehicles on both sides.
The 700-m stretch is always clogged with illegal parking as the police are yet to clamp down on the trend.
“As this is the main road that connects Banerji Road and railway station the traffic is quite heavy all the time and it is two times heavy during the peak hours. However, neither the police nor the MVD has ever come up against illegal parking,” said a shopkeeper on the stretch.
Though 70 per cent of Xavier Road is blessed with wide space, the illegal parking has encroached on most of it. “There is a parking space available for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers at the railway station, but those who are reluctant to pay the parking fee leave their vehicle on the roadside,” the shopkeeper added.
Vehicles coming to the shops and hotels are also a major reason for the illegal parking on the stretch.
“If the government is working hard to clear the path to the Airport, it should also do the same here. Both are means of transportation and it’s the duty of the government to arrange proper traffic movement on the road,” says Rajan, who stays near the railway station.