Two-wheelers encroach pedestrian walkways in R.S. Puram

Avantika Krishna

Coimbatore Corporation Ward 72: R.S. Puram (Central Zone)

Main areas:

Tadagam Main Road, Ponnaiah Rajapuram Main Road, Sulivan Street, Edayar Street, D. B. Road

Voters:

Female - 5113, Male - 6020, Others - 0, Total - 11133

Councillor:

K. Selvaraj (DMK)

Contact number:

8925514072

Issues:

Footpath encroachment, traffic in bylanes

Infrastructure:

Corporation park, public swimming pool, primary Health Centre

COIMBATORE Residents of Rathinasabapathi Puram (R. S. Puram) are voicing concern over the encroachment of pedestrian walkways and roadsides by two-wheelers, exacerbating the already cramped conditions of the narrow lanes.

Situated in Ward 72 under the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation’s (CCMC) jurisdiction, R.S. Puram is renowned for its vibrant flower markets, religious hubs, and small businesses catering to various festivities and culinary delights.

K. Prakash, a resident, highlighted the challenge: “The roads are narrow, and with two-wheelers parked along the lanes, there’s hardly any space left for pedestrians.”

Even in areas like Tiruvenkataswamy Road and D. B Road, which boasts pedestrian sidewalks, the walkways often find themselves occupied by two-wheelers, disregarding the ‘no-parking’ signs installed by the Coimbatore Traffic Police.

A local business owner on D. B. Road shed light on the root cause, stating, “The problem lies in the disregard for designated parking zones. Businesses put up their own signs, leading to vehicles congesting roadsides and encroaching on pavements.”

In lanes such as Arunachalam Road, Siva Subramaniam Street, and Siddhi Vinayagar Kovil Street, vehicles are parked for extended periods, leaving minimal space for pedestrians and nearby shops.

However, many opine that this occurs due to the filling up of the Corporation-run multilevel car parking with 370 spaces for both two and four-wheelers, as early as 10 a.m., leaving others with nowhere to park.

Residents and vendors advocate for additional designated parking spots and the removal or replacement of private ‘no-parking’ signs with official ones from the traffic police. “The solution lies in expanding parking facilities to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles,” emphasised S. Mugil, a visitor.

In response, a senior civic official said that a survey will be conducted to identify suitable locations for parking facilities in the coming months. However, concrete plans for additional parking spots are yet to materialise.