Ahead of festive rush, Tiruchy cops arrange additional parking lots, surveillance cameras

As part of festival rush control, several temporary parking lots have been set up in abandoned and vacant parcels of land near areas prone to crowding like Singarathope and Chathiram bus stand.
Vehicles parked in packed rows near Gandhi statue at Main guard gate | Express
Vehicles parked in packed rows near Gandhi statue at Main guard gate | Express

TIRUCHY: The city police are gearing up for the festival rush this month with several arrangements in place like setting up of additional parking lots, surveillance cameras, temporary security outposts, and deployment of additional security personnel. They, however, complain of the city corporation not extending cooperation to them in the efforts.

As part of festival rush control, several temporary parking lots have been set up in abandoned and vacant parcels of land near areas prone to crowding like Singarathope and Chathiram bus stand. Parking facility has been arranged in corporation grounds behind the Teppakulam post office, at Bishop Heber School ground, and the vacant lot at Fort railway station.

Further, B Joseph Nixon, Assistant Commissioner (North Traffic Police) said only passenger vehicles would be allowed into Big Bazaar during daytime while the heavy goods vehicles would be allowed entry during nighttime when the crowd flow recedes. Deployed police personnel and barricades would ensure traffic regulation at Chathiram bus stand, Main guard gate and Sastri Road, he added.

Customers should have an idea of the shops they will be visiting and the parking spots arranged in nearby places, the police official said. He also pointed out how several customers tend to park their vehicles on the road, leading to traffic jams. Vehicle checkpoints have also come up at Nandhi temple junction, Babu Road junction, Chinnakadai Street, Big Bazaar Street, and at Singarathope as part of the arrangements.

Come October 20, vehicles from Karur and Coimbatore heading towards Chennai would be diverted at Kulithalai before joining Musiri, and then through the No 1 tollgate to reach the Kollidam gate and touch the Chennai highway. The diversions till October 24 were planned along with the Highways Department to avoid unnecessary traffic congestion inside city limits, ACP Nixon said.

A police source, however, said the city corporation was not extending cooperation in making the necessary arrangements like providing vacant land for parking facility and speedy completion of road works pending in several parts of the city. The lack of focus on the latter has led to rainwater inundating roads and collapsing the entire security set-up, the source added.

Delay in granting permission for turning plots into temporary parking lots also is leading the police to scamper for alternative arrangements, the source said. When enquired, a civic body official said, "Some of the corporation grounds that the police department asked for are being used for other purposes, so allotting them for parking is not possible." As for delay in road laying work, most of the arterial paths were already blacktopped barring Salai Road which would also be covered soon, the official added.

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