Passengers at the Katpadi Railway Junction have raised serious concerns over the safety of their two-wheelers due to the absence of an authorized parking lot here, for the last two months.
Sources said the contractor, who had taken up the two-wheeler parking project at the railway station venue a year ago, had given up the contract before two months. Passengers, especially, daily commuters travelling towards Chennai and Salem complained that more than 30 motorcycles were lost on the station premises after the contractor had surrendered the project.
Sudarshan, secretary of the Katpadi Junction Railway Passengers Welfare Association said, “Police cannot take action on the complaints over the missing motorcycles as there was no proof that the vehicles were parked in the station,” and added that the members of the association had taken the issue to the notice of railway officials.
He said, “Commuters park their vehicles in the open.”
President of the association E Karunanidhi said, “Unauthorized parking on the station premises, lead to blockage. Sometimes, we don’t find place to enter the station as all the vehicles are parked here,”
Officials at the Katpadi Railway Junction said, “A parking space of around 1,179 sq metre, including the space next to car parking and porters rest room had been left free. Recently, the old quarters in front of the reservation counter was demolished and additional parking space was made available. A new tender has already been called and it closes on Dec 10, 2013.”
Steps were being taken to involve the railway staff to guide the passengers coming in two-wheelers to park their vehicles in the new available space. But, the passengers do not oblige and park the vehicles randomly, the officials rued.