In the absence of provision for parking of vehicles in special buildings and complexes, vehicle parking on the roadsides has resulted in free flow of traffic being hit.
Even the recently widened spaces on many arterial roads were conveniently being turned for roadside parking. In places, where the road width is more, police permit parking and place boards authorising the place to be a used as a parking lot. In places which are yet to be classified as parking or no-parking zone, people are parking vehicles and that too for throughout the day. Such a trend was seriously affecting the free flow of vehicles.
For example, the entire stretch of Tiruchi Road on either side from Sungam to Ramanathapuram Junction and again from Singanallur Junction till Ondipudur, Bharathiar Road from Gandhipuram to Lakshmi Mills Junction, either side of Avanashi Road, both the sides of new scheme road adjacent to the new shopping mall, Thadagam Road, Mettupalayam Road, Marudamalai Road near PN Pudur, and near Ukkadam bus stand on Valankulam bypass road.
It is this indiscriminate parking that was holding up the traffic on many stretches. Violation by building owners and shop owners on one side and those visiting these complexes was actually inconveniencing thousands of motorists, especially during peak hours, says K. Kathirmathiyon of Coimbatore Consumer Cause.
In fact, traffic snarls on Tiruchi Road, Bharathiar Road, and near Ukkadam bus stand are becoming a major problem during the peak hours, says Jaiwanth Kumar, an executive with a private firm.
Widening of road space, construction of flyovers and developing link roads and scheme roads are long-term solutions since they involve huge financial commitment. Whereas rigid and “zero tolerant” enforcement of parking rules could be an immediate solution that could bring some respite for the motorists, Mr. Kathirmathiyon added.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Pravesh Kumar told ‘The Hindu’ that city police enforcement machinery is already focusing on parking rule violations. In addition to levying a fine of Rs. 100 for such violations, police also tow away the vehicles using two vehicles available with city police and the State Government had already sanctioned two more heavy duty vehicles and the suitable vehicle identification process was on the way.
In addition, the police recently, introduced the system of putting up clamp locks on vehicles parked in unauthorised places. The system is being slowly extended to almost all traffic police stations across the city and clamps are being procured. The violator will have to come and pay the fine to get his vehicle released, he added.
A senior police official in-charge of traffic rule enforcement said that focus of the enforcement machinery was largely on issues relating to fatal accidents caused by over speeding, rash and negligent driving, driving/riding without licence, use of cell phone while on wheels, drunken driving and the machinery also focus on no-parking. Now, the DCP has asked the enforcement officers to ensure that equal attention was paid to parking rule violations as well in order to make the existing road space available for traffic flow.
