KOCHI: Commuters have raised concerns over the monitoring of parking facilities outsourced by Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) at different metro stations. Commuters alleged that the parking attendants failed to issue tokens or receipts at some stations and were, in some instances, absent from designated booths.
The concerns relate to parking facilities at major metro stations including Aluva, Ambattukavu, Cochin University, Edappally, Changampuzha Park, Palarivattom, Kaloor, MG Road, Elamkulam, Thykoodam, Petta, Vadakkekotta and Tripunithura.
At Palarivattom, a commuter alleged that a person collecting the parking fee was neither wearing a uniform nor displaying an identity card and did not provide a token or receipt.
“There should be some system to identify who is authorised to collect the money,” said advocate Suvin R Menon, who faced the issue while parking at the station.
“There was no uniform, token, or identity proof. While a system is in place to manage parking through contractors, the gaps observed at different stations raise questions over its implementation and the extent of monitoring by KMRL.”
The concerns also raise questions over whether KMRL has a clear mechanism to monitor the number of vehicles parked and the amount collected at the outsourced facilities.
A check by the TNIE at the parking facilities at various stations found inconsistencies in the functioning of the system. At some locations, the parking attendant was absent from the designated booth, while at others commuters said tokens or receipts were not routinely issued.
At Kaloor, a regular commuter said the parking booth was often unattended.
“Most of the time, there is no one at the booth. I leave the car and come back later. Sometimes, someone is there and payment is made. Otherwise, there is no one,” the commuter said.
The person on duty at the parking facility said commuters receive a message on their phones after making the payment. At Palarivattom, the parking staff said the area was under camera surveillance and indicated that tickets were not issued in every instance. At Edappally, no parking attendant was present to issue or check tickets.
A station controller of KMRL at one of the metro stations said parking operations had been entrusted to contractors and that the responsibility for maintaining the details rested with them. The official also said two-wheelers were being parked at no-parking areas of metro stations despite repeated reminders.
Suvin, meanwhile, had another point to make: “Commuters leave their vehicles in parking areas for several hours. The absence of identifiable staff or a consistent ticketing system could make it difficult to establish who was responsible for the parking facility at a given time. Has police verification been done for the persons allotted to collect the money? Does KMRL keep track of the amount collected and the number of vehicles parked?”
TNIE contacted parking personnel at several stations. They declined to comment on the issues and directed queries to their supervisor. Calls to the supervisor went unanswered.