Kerala - Kollam   

Debate over advantages of new parking system in Kollam city

Staff Reporter

RIGHT OR LEFT? Four-wheelers parked length-wise along the main road in Kollam.

KOLLAM: The shifting of the parking lot from the right side of the Main Road to the left has by and large been welcomed by motorists. However, length-wise parking for four-wheelers in the parking lot has drawn criticism. Many motorists feel that a diagonal parking system is more suited. Length-wise parking makes a vehicle occupy space that could otherwise have been sufficient to park three vehicles of similar size. Motorists say it not only brings down the Main Road's parking capacity but also creates unnecessary congestion as vehicles move at a snail's pace searching for parking space.

Moreover, such a parking system virtually sandwiches all vehicles, posing difficulties in taking out the vehicle from the parking lot.

But, on the other hand, there are motorists who argue that length-wise parking is the most suitable system for the Main Road, which is narrow at many points. General secretary of Quilon District Retail Merchants Association, Pinjanikada Najib, says the length-wise system would provide space to customers to park their vehicles in front of shops. He said the bulk of the vehicles parked along the Main Road are those of shop owners themselves. These vehicles are there right through the day, denying space for vehicles of customers. The diagonal parking system creates congestion when a vehicle reverses to get released from the parking lot, he said.

President of the Kollam Merchants Association, K. Ramabhadran, also welcomed the new parking system. He said the system is the right one for the Main Road, as it prevents congestion. However at those points where the Main Road is broad, the diagonal parking system can be applied, he opined..

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