COIMBATORE: With the surge in the number of vehicles choking Coimbatore's arterial roads, the demand for organised parking spaces has reached an all-time high. In response, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has intensified efforts to expand and upgrade its parking infrastructure across the city.
On Friday, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran inspected key surface parking locations and reviewed ongoing works aimed at easing parking congestion.
As part of his field visit, Prabakaran toured several two and four-wheeler parking sites in the Central Zone, including Race Course and the area opposite KG Theatre. He also examined redevelopment works at existing parking spaces in Gandhipuram Cross Cut Road, Lakshmi Complex area, and Raja Street, which fall under Wards 68, 81 and 83.
Senior corporation officials, including Chief Engineer Vijayakumar, Assistant Executive Engineer Kumaresan, and Assistant Engineer Sathish Kumar, accompanied him during the inspections.
Speaking to TNIE, the Commissioner confirmed that long-pending plans for two major Multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP) facilities, one at Raja Street and another at Cross Cut Road in Gandhipuram, are now being revived with revised implementation modalities. "Earlier, both projects were proposed under the PPP model. We are continuing with the PPP mode for Raja Street. However, the MLCP at Gandhipuram will be taken up using CCMC's general funds," he said.
To share the financial burden, the Corporation is preparing a detailed proposal for the Tamil Nadu government, seeking 50% funding assistance, while the remaining cost will be met through municipal general funds. Prabakaran stressed that the upcoming structures will follow a simple, cost-effective design, unlike the high-tech automated MLCP at DB Road in RS Puram.
"The proposed MLCP at Gandhipuram is being designed to accommodate around 500 cars. The project is being fine-tuned in consultation with other government departments to ensure compliance with permissible building height norms. Meanwhile, the Raja Street facility will feature an L-shaped layout, integrating a two-wheeler parking bay at the front to maximise utility in the tightly packed commercial zone," added Prabakaran.
In addition to multi-level facilities, the civic body is pushing to complete the new surface-level parking at Race Course, which is expected to be opened to the public within the next couple of weeks.
Officials say these initiatives are part of an ongoing effort to streamline urban mobility and reduce the bottlenecks caused by haphazard roadside parking.