TIRUCHY: The choked traffic flow in four of the city’s thoroughfares is exacerbated by neither the many commercial establishments dotting the stretches nor the corporation offering dedicated parking spaces, complain vehicle users, pedestrians and residents alike, demanding favourable action.
While many commercial establishments fail to provide dedicated parking spaces, they are blamed for their customers parking illegally on the busy Karur bypass road and Thillai Nagar junctions as well as the Ariyamangalam-Thiruverumbur road, fingers are pointed to the visitors to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) for the unauthorised parking of vehicles at Puthur junction.
The junction connects EVR Road with Woraiyur. R Murali, an ambulance driver, said, “The narrow road with bus stops where private and government buses are found parking in the middle creates chaos. The traffic congestion from it makes it difficult for ambulances to ply during peak hours. A flyover in the stretch could save lives.”
M Devi, another commuter said, "I use these roads to commute to work and navigating them is a struggle. It takes me over 20 minutes to travel from Thillai Nagar to Woraiyur. Many commercial buildings have converted parking lots into shops. Most vehicles are parked well into the road without reason. The situation is particularly bad during the weekends and festival season when the traffic increases significantly."
The police should increase the fine imposed on illegally parked vehicles and commercial buildings lacking dedicated parking spaces. Such steps could help reduce the traffic congestion, she added. The pedestrians are equally aggrieved as they complain of being forced to navigate through the narrow spaces between parked vehicles and the moving traffic.
On the issue, a traffic police official said, "We conduct regular drives to penalise unauthorised parking and raise awareness among the public. However, the absence of proper parking infrastructure in commercial zones is indeed a significant challenge."
When contacted, a senior city police official told TNIE, "We on a monthly average impose fines on 300 in these areas for illegal parking. Despite our efforts, traffic jams remain a challenge due to the increasing vehicle density over the past five years. We are working with the road safety committee to address roadside parking issues."