COIMBATORE: More than two years after a parking policy was collaboratively announced by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and city police, the initiative still remains on paper. Aimed at bringing order to the city's chaotic parking situation, it has seen little progress despite detailed studies and consultations.
In 2022, the CCMC roped in the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), an NGO specialising in sustainable transport solutions, to conduct a city-wide feasibility study for implementing paid on-street parking. The project was expected to begin in RS Puram and Race Course, with Coimbatore set to become the second city after Chennai in the state to have a dedicated parking policy.
A stakeholders' meeting and workshop involving the CCMC, ITDP, police officials, traffic experts, and social activists was held on November 18, 2022, to chart the path forward. Experts submitted a comprehensive report to the civic body, and the plan was slated for inclusion in CCMC's 2023 annual budget.
However, the report has since been shelved, and no policy has been implemented. Meanwhile, unregulated parking has worsened in the city with cars and two-wheelers routinely occupying footpaths and main roads, putting pedestrians at risk and adding to the traffic congestion.
"For years, we've been urging the CCMC to mark dedicated parking zones and strictly enforce no-parking areas," said S Vivin Saravan, a Coimbatore-based social activist. "But delays like this only make the problem worse. Footpaths are for people, not for vehicles. Every day we wait, we are compromising pedestrian safety and worsening traffic jams."
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran acknowledged the delay, but said work is now under way to implement reforms, starting with RS Puram. "About two years ago, only the preliminary city-wide study was submitted by ITDP. We are now focusing on RS Puram, where nine streets have been identified for on-street parking, including paid parking and no-parking zones," he said. However, it may be noted that the CCMC withdrew the paid parking system, which it introduced on DB Road in RS Puram several years ago, after a huge uproar from the public.
The plan will also integrate the Multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP) facility on DB Road. According to the commissioner, the ongoing detailed study by ITDP will assess the number of vehicles each street can accommodate, possible segregated parking for cars and two-wheelers, peak hour and weekend traffic patterns, availability of parking space, and proposed parking charges. "Public resistance to paid parking is expected and will be taken into account before implementation," he added.
Sources in the CCMC told TNIE that the civic body is hesitant to implement the policy now as the state legislative assembly elections have been scheduled next year. Many residents and business owners fear that without swift action, the issue will only exacerbate. For Coimbatore, the implementation of a dedicated parking policy could be a turning point, but only if the wheels are finally set in motion.