Even as serious issues such as commercial complexes using their underground parking spaces for business activities, thereby creating traffic jams on adjoining roads, were raised in the District Road Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday, the Committee did not pass any order to alleviate the woes.
Social activist G. Hanumanth Kamath said many commercial complexes in the city have violated sanctioned building plans and converted their parking spaces into spaces for business activities. However, the Mangaluru City Corporation has turned a blind eye on these violations.
Threat to pedestrians
Customers of these buildings park vehicles either on pavements or on roads, thereby defeating the very purpose of road widening. One carriageway of four-lane roads is often occupied by parked vehicles. Besides affecting traffic, this also endangers pedestrians’ lives, as they are forced to walk on roads, Mr. Kamath said.
Another resident said that both sides of Falnir (Mother Teresa) Road are occupied by cars of medical practitioners, who have clinics on the road, as well as their patients. As a result the road always witnesses slow traffic movement, he said.
Committee Chairman, Deputy Commissioner, A.B. Ibrahim, however did not issue any direction to the MCC to remove the encroachment of parking lots in commercial buildings. He asked the corporation and traffic police to regulate unauthorised parking at ‘no parking’ zones.
Relocate bus stops
Meanwhile, Mr. Ibrahim asked the Traffic Police and the corporation to relocate wayside bus stops away from traffic junctions so as to facilitate smooth traffic flow. He said the bus stops should be located at least 150 m away from junctions. The corporation and traffic police should also look at developing traffic junctions to allow unhindered vehicular movement.
Free left turns, wherever provided, should not get blocked by vehicles turning towards the right side, Mr. Ibrahim said.
The directions came after a plea by Mr. Kamath who pointed out that buses halting at wayside bus stops near traffic junctions had been contributing to traffic jams.
Awareness meetings
Mr. Ibrahim also directed the corporation to hold road safety meetings every month along with the traffic police after inviting the general public to participate.
Superintendent of Police Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, Additional Deputy Commissioner Kumar and others were present.
The corporation has been asked to hold meetings every month with the traffic police and the public
