THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state-of-the-art multi-level car parking (MLCP) facility at Thampanoor, in front of the Central Railway Station, will be open to the public in the second week of April. The city corporation expects to complete the entire project by the end of March.
Although the five-storey facility is primarily for two-wheelers, there will also be slots for cars. Besides, there will be exclusive parking slots for vehicles driven by women to ensure their safety. The project is being undertaken by Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) under the Smart City Mission project. Corporation secretary Binu Francis told TNIE that all the works are nearing completion.
“All the works, including painting the structure, have been completed. The major work pending is to install the electrical system. Since it will take time, we can open the facility only between April 10 and 15,” he said.
The facility is focused more on two-wheelers as the city corporation discovered in a study that most passengers prefer to travel on two-wheelers, and their parking is less complicated compared to four-wheelers. MLCP can accommodate 400 two-wheelers and 26 four-wheelers at a time. It also has an internal and external electrical installation, a fire alarm, and a fire-fighting system with a sump. However, this will not be an automated facility. The cost of the project is Rs 18.89 crore.
Work on MLCP at Palayam to begin by March end
Meanwhile, construction on the proposed fully automated MLCP at Palayam behind the Saphalyam Complex will begin by this month end. A top SCTL official said the contractor, RRTL, will submit the project design to the SCTL next week. The project design was verified by NIT Rourkela. Once the design is submitted, the work can begin at full throttle. Technically, the work has already started, including the completion of soil testing,” the official said.
The SCTL had to re-tender the project last year at Palayam as the first company that was chosen had withdrawn from the project. Following the delay caused by the Covid pandemic, the company had demanded for more money which was turned down by the SCTL.
A corporation official said the proposed MLCP project at Putharikandam Maithanam is likely to be revived. The project, which comes under the AMRUT scheme, was dropped earlier as they couldn’t do the piling process since the underground was filled with mud. A similar MLCP is also proposed at the medical college. However, the authorities remain unaware of the project update. The MLCP inside the corporation’s main office is operational and a new MLCP is proposed behind the Connemara market at Palayam.
Key features
MLCP can accommodate 400 two-wheelers and 26 four-wheelers at a time.
Although the five-storey facility is primarily for two-wheelers, there will also be slots for cars.
There will be exclusive parking slots for vehicles driven by women to ensure their safety.
Has an internal, external electrical installation, a fire alarm, and a fire-fighting system with a sump.