KOCHI: For a city already squeezed for parking space, the reconstruction of the north overbridge raises question marks on the availability of space for parking in the vicinity of the alternative routes suggested.Confounding matters, the authorities concerned - the Kochi Corporation, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the Traffic Police - are nowhere near reaching a consensus on either the alternative routes or on providing proper parking facilities. While everyone agrees that parking is a big problem, none seems to have a solution.The Kochi City Police have stated that parking will not be allowed on the routes suggested as alternatives when traffic is diverted from the Banerji Road.While many routes, like the Thammanam-Pullepady Road, are already too narrow to even think of parking, the major issue is likely to surface for those using streets like the Chittoor Road, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road and the Sahodaran Ayyappan Road which are lined with shops and other business establishments. KK Road and SA Road are already busy stretches with plenty of vehicles parked along the sides. These areas do not have sufficient pay and park facilities either.“Parking is a major issue,” conceded Kochi Corporation secretary Ajith Patil.“We have not decided on the exact location where parking will be disallowed. The proposals submitted by the police are under the consideration of the Town Planning Committee (TPC). There is also the issue of parking fees. When the regulations come in, it may also affect the income of those operating pay and park facilities. These are technical matters that need to be looked at.”However, the TPC Standing Committee chairman K J Sohan told ‘City Express’ that the Corporation had no role once the clearance is given to the project. “The Kochi Corporation has given the No Objection Certificate, that’ all,” Sohan said. “DMRC is handling everything. TPC had expressed its disagreement to the proposal in the current state. Alternative routes are also impractical.” The DMRC in turn has the passed the buck on to the police department. “We have not thought about parking,” said P Sriram of DMRC.“We are concerned with only the work of the ROB. It is the police, the Corporation and the district administration that have to look after the arrangements to be made for the city as a whole.”Meanwhile, the police are still unsure on how successful the proposals for traffic regulations will be. “We will implement the new regulations only after the roads are repaired. The proposals have been suggested on a trial basis,” said Assistant Commissioner (Traffic) Mohammed Rafiq.On the parking issue, he said, “The roads along the alternative routes will be declared no-parking zones. We will try to provide parking in some places on major roads like the Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road and the Sahodaran Ayyappan Road. If traffic becomes difficult to manage, we will use other byroads to divert the flow. It is impossible to prohibit parking everywhere. But certain restrictions will definitely be enforced.”
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