CHENNAI: It would be fair to say a significant chunk of commuters, who use the city’s suburban rail network, are more bothered about finding a spot near the stations to park their vehicles than securing a seat on the train. Express surveyed major stations and found that it is difficult to find a safe and secure parking space. Although Southern Railway has awarded contracts for parking spaces within their land, the demand is so high that private companies are thriving, with around half-a-dozen existing near every station.
Near Nungambakkam station, where two private spaces function close to each other, it is a struggle for new customers to find an inch of space.
“Those who commute long distances and park for more than 10 hours are likely regular customers. They manage to find a gap. But those who park for a short duration are given a short shrift,” S Anandan, a resident of Shenoy Nagar said.
Similarly, as many as seven private parking areas were found operating near Chrompet station. An association even controls and fixes their parking fees, which is at least 50% higher than parking zones within stations (`10 for 12 hours).
At Tambaram station, the southern gateway to the city, there are fragmented areas which have been designated for parking. A total combined parking capacity of around 2000 motorcycles notwithstanding, the present contractor admits expansion is necessary: “It is not enough. It must be expanded to cater to the ever-increasing vehicle population.” Appropriately, a row of two-wheelers was found parked at what had been declared by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) as ‘Prohibited zones’ in east Tambaram.
The scenario is no better at Guindy and St Thomas Mount stations, although the newly opened metro rail stations have greatly increased the parking capacity. At both stations, the railway-contracted parking areas are chock-a-block, with no space for expansion. This has led to the growth of private spaces competing with each other.
“We are losing revenue due to competition from new private spaces, apart from the opening of the metro rail parking area,” rued a caretaker of VL Rahimaan cycle and two-wheeler stand at Guindy, which was established in 1977. However, considering the stand is full, the caretaker’s claim must be taken with a pinch of salt.
There are other issues which plague parking areas. Unlike private-run ones, several parking zones contracted by railways, including Tambaram, Villivakkam and Ambattur, do not have overhead shelter. Furthermore, very few are brought under closed camera surveillance, a facility that goes a long way in keeping a safe eye over vehicles besides monitoring the public movement.
The most classic example is that of the premium car parking facility at Tambaram. “They charge `50 for one hour. But there is nothing premium about it. Cars are left to the mercy of the sun or rain,” K Joseph, a cab driver, said.
More to come
When contacted by Express, a railway official said they are on a constant lookout for more parking areas. At Tambaram, work is underway to add a large space on the western side. “Presently, we have around 60 contracts in the Chennai railway division. We will endeavour to provide more land for parking,” he said.