New facility to eradicate Thampanoor’s two-wheeler parking menace
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The upcoming multi-level car parking facility at Thampanoor seeks to reduce the two-wheeler parking menace in the area which happens to be one of the busiest spots in the capital city, housing both the Central railway station and bus station. The project, which is being implemented by Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) at a cost of Rs 18 crore, would be loaded with smart features including app-based slot booking, electric vehicle charging, and CCTV surveillance. The car parking facility is coming up in the corporation-owned land at Thampanoor.
Thampanoor ward councillor M V Jayalakshmi said that illegal two-wheeler parking is a big concern in the region. “Even after the opening of the parking plaza at Thampanoor bus terminal, commuters continue to park on the roadside and along Mosque Lane, causing huge inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists. The Central railway station also provides a pay and park facility, but it is strictly for train commuters.
The new parking facility would be a huge relief for motorists. We receive a lot of complaints from residents living on the Mosque Lane, where private vehicles can’t move around for emergency purposes due to illegally-parked two-wheelers,” said Jayalakshmi. A senior official at SCTL said that the facility which would be a four-storey building and the ground floor would be able to accommodate around 400 two-wheelers.
“The ground floor would have 22 slots for cars. The top floor of the building would be office space, which could be used by the corporation. Electric vehicle charging systems would be the main highlight of the parking lot,” said the official. The 50.25 cents at Thampanoor opposite the Central railway station, which is owned by the civic body, used to be a pay and park facility.
This is being used for the project which is being executed by M/S Heather Constructions. Mayor K Sreekumar will launch the project this week and it is expected to finish in 18 months. The parking plaza would also have round-the-clock CCTV surveillance.
However, the parked vehicles in the land identified for the project has become a headache for the authorities. “Around 40 cars are parked in the plot and we want to clear them before commencing construction activities. We have sought the intervention of civic authorities,” said an official of SCTL.
The multi-level parking facility is in its final stages and similar projects are under way at Palayam, Putharikandam Maidan and near Medical College Hospital.