Kochi to have sound parking system

Along with framing a parking policy, the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd will also set up a proper signage system for the city which will be useful for pedestrians and motorists as well.
Kochi to have sound parking system

The city’s long pending demand for an organised parking system will soon be met, with the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) agreeing to help the civic body formulate a parking policy. Along with framing a parking policy, the KMRL will also set up a proper signage system for the city which will be useful for pedestrians and motorists as well. The signage system will be installed as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)of the KMRL.

An Automobile Parking Policy is mandatory for the cities that fall under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and accordingly, three years ago, the Kochi Corporation initiated steps to prepare the parking bylaw.

The parking bylaw was formed with a major aim of curbing parking on footpaths and preventing street vendors from encroaching upon the space. Once the parking bylaw is formulated, it will help ensure that even if a roadside margin is used for parking purposes, it will not obstruct pedestrian and vehicular movement.

But the civic body’s plans did not materialise. With the chances of setting up a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) brightening up and the construction of the Kochi Metro Rail commencing, the authorities realised that a proper parking policy was the need of the hour. “The parking policy will be formed by the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, which will be the umbrella body that will manage the transport activities of the city. Along with it, the KMRL will launch a proper signage system for the city. The existing signage boards are not sufficient and those that are in a bad shape will be replaced,” said an official spokesperson of the KMRL.

Meanwhile, the special Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority committee under the chairmanship of KMRL Managing Director Elias George will hold discussions soon and take the required steps for the formation of the UMTA for Kochi agglomeration area. The committee consists of 17 members, including the District Collector and representatives of various stakeholders like the Corporation and the Greater Cochin Development Authority.

The parking bylaw will also help curb the conversion of parking areas into commercial use by the building owners. The Corporation will also look into the options of setting up adequate parking areas, including multi-storey parking facilities under a public-private partnership mode.

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