Meenambakkam Metro station to get more parking space

Plans afoot to add another floor for 450 two-wheelers

January 23, 2022 02:15 am | Updated 02:15 am IST - CHENNAI

Always full: A view of the two-wheeler parking at Meenambakkam Metro station.

Always full: A view of the two-wheeler parking at Meenambakkam Metro station.

For hundreds of commuters shuttling between southern parts of the city and Meenambakkam, it’s always a jostle to find parking space at the Metro Rail station.

The Meenambakkam Metro station has limited parking area that is inadequate to meet the demands of commuters from Tambaram, Pallavaram, Chromepet, Anakaputhur and other neighbouring areas. To cope with the demand, the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) has decided to expand the parking lot by building an additional floor.

“Till a few months ago, this station could house nearly 500 two-wheelers. Then to temporarily make additional space, we began allowing bikes to be parked in the service road and that helped in accommodating another 200 vehicles. The design is ready for building this floor. We will call a tender soon and the work should start in four months. This will provide space for another 450 vehicles,” an official said.

Meenambakkam Metro station handles nearly 3,000 passengers every day and the station receives around ₹9,000 a day as revenue from the parking. The revenue is likely to go up by at least another 50% after the expansion.

But sources said the focus should be on providing last mile connectivity for passengers, instead of expecting them to pay for parking and the ticket fare too.

“Not every passenger will have a two-wheeler or someone to drop them. After so many years, at least now, there should be a plan to bring in share autos or mini buses to all stations. That’s what passengers need more than parking spaces, if we have to shift them to using public transport,” a source said.

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