MADURAI: Rampant on-road parking continues to aggravate traffic congestion in Madurai, with vehicles occupying road margins along busy stretches such as Nellupettai, Keelavasal, Periyar, Nethaji Road and the Masi streets. The encroachments leave little carriageway space, resulting in frequent traffic snarls during peak hours.
Though the Multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP) facility at the Periyar complex was opened around three months ago, its utilisation remains low compared to the MLCP near the Meenakshi temple. Activists urged the city corporation, along with the city police, to take action towards addressing the prolonged parking woes in Madurai.
According to corporation officials, the Meenakshi temple MLCP can accommodate around 800 cars and is being fully utilised. However, the Periyar facility, which has a capacity to park 226 cars and around 4,500 two-wheelers, is underutilised.
Officials said around 170 cars have been issued monthly parking passes at the Periyar MLCP; apart from that, only around 90 vehicles use the facility daily. A portion of the facility also remains closed as it is located close to shops in the Periyar complex that are yet to be opened.
Activists said the corporation had envisaged the MLCP as a means of encouraging commercial establishments and workers in the Periyar area to opt for monthly parking, thereby reducing roadside parking. However, the proposed regulated on-road parking system, planned by the corporation in 2022, is yet to be implemented.
M Praveen, a commuter, said the lift at the Periyar MLCP was not operational and users had to walk out of the facility, as the lift was allegedly intended to be commissioned after the Periyar complex became fully operational. He also pointed out the cost factor, saying parking a two-wheeler at the MLCP costs nearly Rs 60 a day, compared to Rs 40-Rs 50 at the nearby railway parking facility.
