Residents of over 20 streets in Panagal Park and T. Nagar will seek ‘protective shelter’ in a police station on Sunday.
After allegedly being prevented by ‘traders from entering homes because of haphazard and illegal parking,’ residents of over 700 homes in the shopping hub have planned to seek ‘shelter’ at R1 Mambalam Police Station.
Those living on Motilal Street, Mahalakshmi Street, Mangai Street, Dandapani Street, Ramanathan Street, Madley Road, Muthurangan Salai, Venkatesan Street, Burkit Road, Sarojini Street, Natesan Street, Ramanathan Street, Rameswaram Road and Pinjala Subramanian Street will participate in the ‘protest’.
“The residents sent a telegraphic notice to the city police commissioner a week ago. The police are yet to take any action to regulate illegal parking,” said P. Venugopal, a resident of Madley Road.
“Whenever we ask a trader blocking our gates with vehicles to move, they claim the police have permitted them. The Chennai Corporation too does not do anything to clear hindrances on the pavement. This has aggravated the problem,” he said.
Traders have also dumped goods and waste on 20 interior roads hindering normal life, said V. Jayaraman, a resident of Motilal Street.
“Recently, a resident was unable to go to a hospital because of the problem created by illegal parking,” he said.
As the police have a larger role to play in protecting residents from the challenges of illegal parking by shoppers and traders, the residents are seeking the intervention of the police,” he said.
The city traffic police made parking arrangements that came into force a few months ago during Deepavali, but it was opposed by some shoppers.
“A large number of people throng T. Nagar, a major shopping hub. The government must take measures to improve shopping experience without affecting residential areas,” said Babu Emmanuel, a trader in T. Nagar.
