Haphazardly-parked vehicles and extensive encroachments on roads are common sights all over the city. Now, never-ending traffic jams and inadequate parking spaces have further worsened the situation near major hangouts in the city, causing inconvenience to not only city residents, but businesses and Traffic officials as well.
Take the Vellayambalam- Sasthamangalam stretch, which has now become a favourite hangout of the city folk with the increasing number of eateries, including Dominos, ChicKing, Salwa Dine, Buraq and the soon-to-be-opened Pizza Hut. Interestingly, none of these outlets have spaces to park vehicles. In addition to these restaurants, a large number of shops and eating places are situated along this road, but again, sufficient parking spaces are are not available here too.
The pocket road near City Zoo and Museum has a provision for parking, but people find it difficult to walk the long distance to the Zoo after parking there. On the other hand, this parking space is also inadequate, as it starts getting occupied early and is full during the peak hours. As a result, people park their vehicle haphazardly in the area, causing hindrance to passing traffic and forcing the police to take away the vehicles or impose fines.
Mahesh R, an employee of a private firm on Vellayambalam road said: “Most of the time, I have to park my vehicle at a far-off place. This causes much problems and the authorities should do something about it.”
Meanwhile, the owner of an eatery in Pattom said: “Our business suffers a lot owing to improper parking spaces. The authorities should provide a proper parking area.”
As the space provided by shops to park vehicles is inadequate, people are forced to leave their vehicles in nearby residential areas, giving much trouble to those living there. Yet another headache is parking in middle of the road, which is a common sight all around the city.
The Thampanoor area is where the maximum number of renowned hotels, shops and cinema theatres in the city are situated. This place too suffers from wrong parking practices, especially during peak hours.
Citizens who move about in their own vehicles now feel that depending on public transport is a better option and many keep their vehicles back home. These city residents also fear that once the road development works along various stretches are completed, the authorities would declare these stretches as no-parking zones. Though the number of vehicles in the city has crossed the five lakh-mark, the development of parking areas has failed to keep pace.
Despite demands for multi-level parking lots, which are the need of the hour, both the City Corporation and the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) have so far failed to provide the facility. The difficulty in acquiring land had been cited as a major hurdle. The officials at TRIDA said that the lack of space was delaying its project for setting up a parking lot. “We have plans to construct parking lots in several places in the city during this financial year and we will go ahead with the project,” said TRIDA Chairman P K Venugopal .
The five parking lots of the Corporation - at Museum, Sreekanteswaram, Shangumugham, Thampanoor and Gandhi Park - have failed to match the demand for parking spaces on working days. In addition to these, there are many more parking lots on roadsides. But even they are insufficient, making vehicles spill out on to the roads, choking traffic.
Off-street parking lots are the only long-term solution to the traffic congestion in the city. But civic authorities point out that finding land for parking lots has become difficult. Faced with such a situation, some of the popular eateries and hotels are now shifting to the Bypass Road, seeking a boost in business.
Parking facts
* The City Corporation has five parking lots - near Museum, Sreekanteswaram, Shangumugham, Thampanoor and Gandhi Park. In addition, two more parking spaces are coming up in the city.
* TRIDA too has plans to set up parking lots this financial year.
* Vehicles parked on roadside disrupting traffic will be strictly fined.