“It was a Saturday. A family of four planned to go out for dinner at a famous vegetarian restaurant near Vilakuthoon. However, after moving at a snail's pace along Kamarajar Salai, they finally chose a different joint, somewhere near the district court, as there was no space for parking their newly bought luxury car.”
This is just a sample. Parking woes are aplenty. The government agencies – particularly, the police -- are finding it extremely difficult to handle the burgeoning vehicle population. Officers say, “Our first priority is to decongest traffic and ensure smooth flow. Next is prevention of road accidents and then comes parking."
Recently, the traffic police made changes in and around Goripalayam junction by providing exclusive way for vehicles proceeding to Panagal Road and thus making the stretch easy for vehicles bound for Alagarkoil Road.
The need of the hour is to identify encroachers and evict them. This gives ample carriage space on the roads. Following heavy congestion experienced on roads like North Veli Street and West Veli Street, parking of four-wheelers has been banned. Though this new arrangement is welcomed by motorists, some of the shopkeepers in the vicinity feel the heat. The rise in number of vehicles, both two-wheelers and four-wheelers, in the temple city has compelled the law enforcing agencies to take such firm actions.
Vehicle users feel that it is high time the Madurai Corporation authorities took some pro-active steps by identifying vacant spaces and prepare them as parking zones.
Many suggestions have come up from the readers of The Hindu and motorists in the city.
1. Corporation-run school grounds and a few college grounds situated in city limits could be given a thought for being used as car parking slots after school/college hours and on holidays.
2. Trade bodies such as Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry or Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association or Confederation of Indian Industry or the Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association may be offered these vacant sites owned by the Corporation in busy locations, wherein multi-level car parking lots could be built as a joint venture.
3. A portion of the Tamukkam Grounds may be converted as car parking space for shoppers visiting the American College shopping complex. Instead of parking in front of the shops, the four-wheelers may be given ample space at the Tamukkam Grounds. Thus, the bottleneck experienced near Thevar statue could be removed.
4. Dilapidated kalyana mandapams belonging to the Madurai Corporation, situated in the commercial zones, could be converted into vehicle parking slots.
5. Multi-level car parking could be constructed at the railway station (both sides) for people, who plan to go out of station. Also, those visiting the Town Hall Road can park their vehicles here and thus give relief to the stretch.
6. The huge space near Meenakshi Temple, where the wholesale vegetable market was once functioning, could be converted as a car park. There is a proposal, but it is a non-starter.
7. Certain locations, like the space around the Meenakshi Temple, may be kept free from vehicular movement and instead battery cars be operated free of cost as an alternative. This service is already available along the Chithirai Streets around the temple. The concept of drop and drive, like in airports, could be introduced on select/busy points.
8. Public toilets run by Corporation authorities can be demolished and in that space multi-level vehicle parking facilities can be built. The basement can have toilets/bathrooms, all on payment.
9. The temple administration can consider operating small (mini) buses to and from Meenakshi Temple, Tirumalai Nayak Mahal, Alagarkoil, Gandhi Museum, et al, by which use of private cars and vans can be avoided. The luxury coaches operated can even be charted by private groups, as done by many airline companies.
10. Vehicle parking fee can be fixed by the Corporation and the rent can be used for infrastructure building of the schools/colleges. Congested locations should be declared as ‘no parking' zones like the one announced recently along the North-West Veli Street for four-wheelers.
BOT pattern
Motorists opined that the Corporation, district administration and the police should jointly identify college/school grounds and in the event of a “no objection” from the school and college managements, an exclusive space may be earmarked for vehicle parking. The parking fee collected may be shared by the educational institutions and the operators (who could be the trade bodies or the Corporation) for maintenance and infrastructure development fund.
According to Corporation officials, there are about 65 Corporation schools in the city limits (big and small) and whichever among them has playgrounds can be considered for parking. The Corporation could undertake a pilot project on busy pockets like Vilakuthoon, East Masi Street and Vengalakadai Street in association with industrial associations, said Sharmila Siraj. Echoing similar views, Rehamath Syed, a resident of K. K. Nagar said, “Instead of parking on narrow roads and going for shopping, parking in schools/colleges or in multi-level parking slots will be safer,” she added.
MADITSSIA model
The MADITSSIA model in Madurai is a success story. According to the members, the joint venture with the Corporation of Madurai about a decade ago has now come in for appreciation. Apart from the auditorium, they have also rented out space within the campus to a public sector bank. A trust formed for this purpose meets periodically and reviews the functioning and it has a representative from the Corporation. On these lines, the local bodies may identify and rope in trade organisations and chamber of commerce for effective and better use of the land. Instead of leaving the land available in the city to unproductive use, the local bodies, which were starved for funds, could examine the modalities, MADITSSIA members opined.
With 100 wards in pocket, the Worshipful Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa and team should take the lead and give a feel of ‘better living' for its residents in all aspects, say tax paying citizens.
