Parking on the roadsides has been hampering free flow of traffic in Tiruchi due to lack of adequate parking space in buildings and complexes. The indiscriminate parking that holds up traffic on many stretches poses a threat for both pedestrians and motorists.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Narrow roads and haphazard parking of vehicles in the nook and corners of the road have turned driving into a nightmare for motorists. Traffic snarls on Karur Bypass Road, Shastri Road, Big Bazaar Street, NSB Road, Singarathope, West Boulevard Road, and Puthur High Road are becoming a major problem during the peak hours,” says Alex, a city resident.
With the lack of designated parking areas, roadside parking has become a norm, and no-parking signs aren't much of a deterrent. The majority of major commercial establishments that have set up shop in multi-storey buildings have no allotted parking space, but a few that have, hardly accommodate a handful of vehicles.
ADVERTISEMENT
Haphazard parking in front of commercial establishments has contributed to major traffic snarls. “Thousands of shoppers park their vehicles on the roads wherever there is an open space available,” says S. Vinoth, a shopkeeper at Shastri Road.
The spurt in the number of vehicles on the road is already causing traffic congestion, and parking on the roadside adds to the problem. Even many arterial roads were conveniently being turned for roadside parking.
“Most of the footpaths are either damaged or encroached upon by vendors, leaving no room for pedestrians; now there are vehicles parked on the space meant to commute; so where do they expect us to walk?” questions R. Shree, a pedestrian.
According to a senior official, the city police is already focusing on parking rule violations. “We are clamping locks on vehicles parked in no parking spots and are trying to make space available for traffic flow,” he said