VELLORE: The absence of a designated parking lot at the busy Katpadi Railway junction has led to haphazard and random parking of two-wheelers and cars for the past six months, resulting in total chaos and inconvenience to the public.
Passengers and people, who come to the junction to pick up and drop others, park their vehicles in the no-parking area or in front of the railway colony at their own risk. Some passengers even park their vehicles in front of the station.
“The previous lease to manage the parking lot has expired and for the new auction no one has come forward,” said an official.
A Kumar, who came to the Katpadi railway station to see off his relatives, said, “I have been parking my bike at my own risk. There is no legal parking lot or even a watchman to keep an eye on the vehicles. Earlier, there was a parking lot and safety was not an issue then, but now it is.”
In spite of a board displayed by the police officials asking the public not to park the vehicles, nobody takes the message seriously.
“The police have to seize the vehicles and fine people who park in the no-parking zone,” said an IT professional, who is working in Chennai and visits his home during weekends.
Parking in front of the railway colony makes it difficult for people to pass through the road. “How can people go through, if vehicles are parked at the entry point,” questioned a woman who suggested that people be fined for random parking.
An official in the station, on condition of anonymity, told Express, “The tender for parking has expired. The new tender should be floated in Chennai.”