The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Coimbatore News : Efforts on for multi-tier parking facilities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 23, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Efforts on for multi-tier parking facilities

By K.V. Prasad

COIMBATORE, SEPT. 22 . If a motorist in the city is found frantically searching for something it can be only parking space. Search for the non-existent space for two-wheelers or four-wheelers in commercial hubs is an unending ordeal. One does not need to put in any extra effort to prove that the city's roads are chaotic. Haphazard parking in whatever space is available points out the increasing inadequacy of space to accommodate a burgeoning vehicle population.

Instances of frayed tempers at parking lots are a common sight, especially with very poor regulation. The city grudgingly suffers an avoidable problem. There are, however, some encouraging signs of a solution.

Preliminary stage

The Coimbatore Corporation has planned two multi-tier parking lots - one on Raja Street and the other at Gandhipuram. Both are in a preliminary stage and the estimates are yet to be worked out.

Official sources in the civic body say that after detailed proposals are drawn up, the plans for the structures will be submitted to the Local Planning Authority and then approved by Directorate of Town and Country Planning in Chennai. Besides, the project will have to be placed before the Government for approval.

All these are expected to take another six months. Till the facilities are in place, the people fervently hope for some measures that will bring about order in the parking lots. But, the truth is that the entire space in each of the existing designated lots is inadequate. For instance, the lot on Raja Street has always been packed with vehicles. Drivers have had to perfect the technique of squeezing themselves into their vehicles to desist from opening the door of any four-wheeler fully in order to avoid hitting the ones parked close by on either side.

Desperate need

Raja Street, Oppanakara Street and Big Bazaar Street are desperately in need of a bigger parking facility. As the entire western side of Oppanakara Street is taken up by two-wheelers, four-wheelers had to be parked on Raja Street for long. Now, just one row of four-wheelers is allowed on Oppanakara Street but that has cut down motorable space on a busy stretch.

A large stretch of Raja Street is also a mess, with all kinds of vehicles jostling for parking space. So is the case with D.B. Road in R.S. Puram and Cross Cut Road in Gandhipuram.

Any discussion on this problem naturally points out large-scale building rule violation - of not providing the mandatory parking space.

With most of the commercial establishments, especially shopping complexes, not providing parking lots, people are forced to park vehicles along busy roads.

Seeing no scope for any improvement in existing structures, the Corporation had decided to go in for multi-tier parking lots.

The one on Raja Street will have three tiers. With regard to the one planned at Gandhipuram, the civic body has planned a shopping complex with parking lot in the basement and first floor.

When implemented, the one at Gandhipuram may be the first shopping complex with adequate parking space, in sharp contrast to the existing ones.

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