HAPHAZARD PARKING: Maxi cabs and tourist taxis parked on Muthulakshmi Street, Tiruvanmiyur. — PHOTO: N. Sridharan

CHENNAI: Traffic snarls, inadequacies of public transport and absence of a multi-modal mass transportation system are no longer concern only of the common man, with trade and industry bodies calling for measures to stop Chennai going the Bangalore way.

On Monday, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry recommended development of multi-level and automated car parks in "crucial locations of the city." Such facilities were required in busy commercial areas such as T. Nagar, according to P. Murari, adviser to the FICCI president. Noting that he had been a resident of T. Nagar for around 33 years, the former bureaucrat said that it was difficult now to ride even a bicycle in the area, with more and more residential buildings making way for commercial establishments. The need for parking facilities figured in the FICCI Tamil Nadu Council's set of recommendations to the State Government on the proposed industrial policy. A start could be made by establishing such facilities in Chennai and later implemented in other major cities in the State.

Technical reports

Early this year, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority had followed up on the then Government's announcement for creating six automated multi-level parking spaces in Chennai and began preparing technical reports.

Other FICCI leaders, who addressed the press briefing, said several foreign infrastructure companies were interested in developing multi-level automated car parks. The industry body sought an increase in electricity generation, including encouraging private power producers, pointing out that industrialisation and growth of satellite townships would double the power requirement in the next five years.

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