Parking a two-wheeler or car on State Bank Road between Collectorate and railway station has become a difficult task as existing parking space on the busy stretch is occupied by cabs parked on the road sides.
Taxis are also parked in ‘no parking’ areas on the road, even in front of the office of Coimbatore District (Rural) Police and the space between Railway Police Station and Lanka Corner railway underpass.
Those occupying existing parking spaces on the stretch, mostly suitable for two-wheelers, are unorganised cab operators who try to woo passengers from railway station. However, officials with City Traffic Police said that no designated taxi stand has been allotted on State Bank Road between Collectorate and railway station.
“As of now, only autorickshaws are permitted to park in front of the railway station on the busy stretch. The road is very narrow and there is no space for a taxi stand. Even the autorickshaw stand in front of the railway station is not authorised and we clear them when there is a major traffic snarl,” said S. Saravanan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic).
According to cab drivers, who operate the taxi stands on the stretch, they are forced to park cabs on the road in the absence of an alternative parking space.
“There is no designated parking space for cabs near the railway station where we can find customers. It is important for us to park the cab close to the station as we do not have booking facilities as offered by online taxi services and call taxi services. Parking the vehicle on railway station premises is not viable as we have to pay for each entry,” said P. Sugumar, a taxi driver.
According to him, State Bank road is a potential stretch for taxis and autorickshaws due to the crowd movement at court complex, Collectorate, Commissioner's office, and SBI head office other than railway station.
Mr. Saravanan said that unauthorised taxi stands and illegal parking are often being cleared from the road. “Illegal parking and unauthorised taxi stands will not be permitted on the stretch,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, cabs running for online and call taxi services are currently parked on lanes near the railway station so that they can reach the spot as soon as a ride is booked by customer. Parts of Sungam-Ukkadam bypass, Tiruchy Road and the small stretch linking Tiruchi Road and Sungam-Ukkadam bypass are currently occupied by online and call taxi operators.
