Chennai: To ease traffic congestion and curb illegal roadside parking, Tambaram Corporation has announced plans to construct two multi-level car parking (MLCP) facilities along GST Road and in east Tambaram. The projects were allocated a budget of 25 crore, and tenders are expected to be floated soon. The civic body aims to make them operational by the end of this year.GST Road is one of the city’s key arterial roads , which witnesses heavy traffic. According to the corporation estimate, at least 10,000 vehicles pass through the stretch every hour. Due to inadequate designated parking space, many people park their vehicles along the main road while visiting eateries and shopping complexes. This often leads to traffic jams.
The proposed MLCPs will be three-storey buildings with two basement levels. Each facility will have parking for around 40 cars across two basement floors, with 20 car slots at each level. The ground floor will accommodate 57 two-wheelers, while the first and second floors will have space for 78 bikes each. The third floor will provide parking for 103 two-wheelers. Parking charges will be decided after the tender process and land acquisition are completed.News of the project drew mixed reactions from residents. Dayanand Krishnan, a resident-activist, said: “An MLCP in T Nagar remains largely unused due to high maintenance costs linked to mechanical lifting and stacked parking systems. Spending large sums on such systems could turn into wasteful expenditure.” He added that the corporation should focus on cost-effective two-wheeler parking facilities with ground-level car parking. The location of the MLCPs is crucial and should be close to shopping areas with wide approach roads, he said.Responding to these concerns, a senior official from Tambaram Corporation said, “Illegal parking increased rapidly in market areas and along the Velachery-Tambaram Road. The issue was monitored through the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), and several complaints were received from the public. That is why we decided to go ahead with the project. Proper maintenance will be ensured,” the official added.
