Tiruchi Corporation has initiated measures to open the multi-level car parking lot on West Boulevard (WB) Road ahead of the festive season.
The parking lot near the District Central Library on WB Road was developed by Tiruchi Corporation at ₹20 crore under the Smart Cities Mission, with facilities to accommodate around 650 four-wheelers and 950 two-wheelers. The three-storey building houses 23 commercial shops and of them, 17 shops have been rented out.
Construction work on the project commenced in September 2019, and it was initially scheduled to be commissioned in September 2021. However, due to delay owing to a fund crunch and the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was completed in August 2023.
Although the facility was inaugurated in December last year, it remains underutilised for months now, and road users continue to park their vehicles along Big Bazaar Street, WB Road and Main Guard Gate, hindering the free flow of traffic.
As the civic body does not have adequate staff to maintain the facility directly, it floated a tender to find a suitable agency but attempts to find an operator have failed. However, following demands, the civic body is in the process of floating a tender once again to identify an agency. “The tender will be floated within a week, and steps are being taken to open the facility before Deepavali to ease traffic congestion,” said a senior Corporation official.
In November, the civic body fixed ₹10 and ₹50 as user fees for parking two-wheelers and four-wheelers for every six hours, respectively. Officials added that the delay has also affected a significant amount of the civic body’s revenue.
The project was undertaken to ease traffic congestion and regulate off-road parking for the convenience of the traders, shopkeepers, and customers visiting Madurai Road, Singarathope, WB Road and nearby areas.
According to civic activist N. Jamaludeen, the increasing crowd in the areas and the upcoming festive season would make the situation worse. “Unauthorised parking on narrow roads makes it difficult to navigate the commercial area. We hope the civic body at least opens the parking lot soon to avoid traffic snarls during the festive rush,” he said.
Published - October 02, 2024 06:08 pm IST
