Haphazardly parked vehicles are again back to the city’s paved footpaths obstructing free movement of pedestrians and challenging the occasional wheel clamping drives by the police. A majority of violators are motorbike riders who even dare to ride on the tile-paved surface to occupy a convenient spot.
“We are forced to walk close to the crowded road as there is no walkable space on footpaths. If the number of people depending on such dedicated pathways is less, there is no issue. But, their number is steadily on the rise,” said Sunitha Sathyan, a martial art trainer. She pointed out that hasty attempts by riders to get their vehicles back from such spots were a concern as they, more often than not, carelessly rode vehicles again through the footpath with no concern for pedestrians.
Since parking rule violations attract only a small fine amount, such violations are common near shopping malls, food courts, and wayside stalls. There are also people who leave vehicles regularly for hours at a particular spot. Despite increasing the number of approved wayside parking slots, there is no let-up in misuse of pedestrians’ space.
“On Mavoor Road and Arayidathupalam, pedestrians are at the receiving end. Though the police often slap fine on violators, no steps have been taken to prevent the entry of such vehicles again to the same spots,” said Aneesh Anand, an employee with a leading private sector bank in the city. He added that the lack of convenient parking spots exclusively for two-wheelers in the city was also a trigger for such violations.
A few pedestrians who regularly use the footpath near Arayidathupalam argued that the reckless practice could be put to an end if the police were willing to use recovery vans. Vehicles spotted in restricted areas should be immediately removed, besides slapping their owners with hefty fines, they said.
