The civic authorities are yet to address the demand of inter-State and inter-district truck operators to open a spacious parking spot with clean comfort stations, safety lockers, and restrooms in Kozhikode, despite rising incidents of thefts in parked vehicles.
A proposal to develop a lorry stand near Butt Road beach is yet to be taken up by the authorities, though sufficient space is available. Since the charges for using private parking spaces are high, a majority of inter-State drivers stay back with their vehicles parked along roads. Safekeeping of valuables is also a challenge for them.
“At times, we cannot use cash deposit facilities and have to carry liquid cash. A locker facility exclusively for truck drivers will be a boon,” said Ravi Choolode, an inter-State truck driver from Perambra. He also said that theft of batteries and fuel from parked vehicles had become common.
Inter-State and inter-district drivers working for reputed companies alone have access to secure accommodation. In the case of other drivers, lorry stands are the last resort where space is limited. Though some occupy spaces near fuel stations and wayside hotels, there is no guarantee that they may get such spaces every time.
“There are locations in other States where truck drivers can comfortably park vehicles, prepare food, and sleep. In Kerala, however, such facilities are rare,” said V.C. Manoharan, a driver from Vengali. According to him, unused land near government properties will be sufficient to set up satellite parking spaces.
Meanwhile, city traffic police officers said efforts were on to set up a facility near Butt Road beach with the support of the Kozhikode Corporation and the Kerala Maritime Board. They also claimed that incidents of thefts in parked vehicles had largely come down with the streamlining of camera surveillance and intensified night patrol.
Published - June 05, 2024 08:19 pm IST
