THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If you have plans to visit Museum and Zoo or Kanakakunnu Palace during weekends, better come walking or on a bicycle. If you come by car, chances are that you will be booked by the police for illegal parking.
For the past few weeks, cars owners in the city are at the receiving end of this unfair treatment. They keep on asking one question: Where would one park the car in the city ? Since the renovation of sub-roads like Manaveeyam and Kanaka Nagar, tourists and residents who visit Napier museum, zoo and Kanakakunnu Palace on weekends could not find a suitable place to park their cars. Mostly, they prefer to park at Museum-Nandavanam road. If that road gets filled, the motorists park on both sides of Museum-Vellayambalam road as well as at the Museum-public office stretch.
Many motorists who are unaware of the parking restrictions along the stretch often get penalised by the city traffic police. They stick the yellow fine stickers on the cars. On weekdays, the police keep cones to prevent motorists from parking vehicles in the area. Above all, the much-hyped multi-level parking facility on the corporation office premises has not opened yet. Vattiyoorkavu resident Praveen Jacob used to visit Kanakakunnu Palace on weekends and he had been fined without prior notice several times.
“I parked my car near the palace a week ago safely without obstructing traffic. Moreover, there were no restrictions on parking there at that time. When I returned, I found the police have stuck the fine ticket on my car. If the parking is not allowed in the area, then they should make some alternative arragement. Currently, there are fewer spaces in the city for parking as many roads are closed for renovation. It seems like police are waiting for the people to park their cars for slapping a fine on them,” he says.
These stretches come under city traffic north sub-division. The police said they are doing their duty and cannot make any alternative arrangements for parking.
According to city traffic police, they have penalised over 150 motorists in three days — last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday alone, 106 car drivers were penalised. “Parking is not allowed on the roadside on this stretch. Most of the vehicles which were penalised are those that come to Museum or Kanakakunnu Palace. Right now, parking inside palace premises is also prohibited. Parking is allowed only at Museum-Nandavanam road and, that too, till near the AR camp. But the parking space there gets filled fast. From there, there are parking restrictions,” says P S Dharmajith, Traffic North Assistant Commissioner of Police.
“It is true that the parking restrictions inconvenience people. But it is our duty to impose fine and we are not responsible for making alternative arrangements for parking. On weekdays, we keep cones on roadsides to ensure there are no unauthorised parking, “ says Dharmajith. Meanwhile, the much-touted multi-level car parking (MLCP) facility which was completed on the corporation office premises near these stretches has not opened for the public so far.
“We had proposed a MLCP on the public office premises as part of the Smart City project. But the issue is space and it may not generate income for the corporation. Since the pandemic outbreak, the public office employees use their own vehicles instead of relying on public transport. So, there is an increase in the number of vehicles parked on the premises,” said corporation secretary Binu Francis.
“Now, the limited parking space at the public office gets full fast. Talks are on with the officials concerned to make an alternative option there. Similarly, the MLCP on the corporation office premises is open now for staff and councillors. We have not decided on allowing vehicles of the public as negotiations regarding the parking fee are still on,” he added.
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