Madras High Court orders Southern Railway to manage Central station car park
Chennai: As an interim measure till the tender is finalised, the Madras high court on Monday directed the Railways to make arrangements through its own personnel to monitor premium car parking at the Chennai Central Railway Station (CCRS).
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam disposed of a Public Interest Litigation from advocate K. Sudhan, which sought a direction to the Southern Railways (SR) to regulate the car parking area of Central station by earmarking separate car parking lots in adequate numbers for private or owner driven cars, besides to permit parking of call taxis tourist cabs and autos only in a designated area either inside or outside the station premises.
The petitioner also sought a direction to ensure that call taxis, tourist cabs, auto and other categories of commercial vehicles were not allowed to remain stationed for any reasons in any part of the station other than their designated parking lot.
The Public Interest Litigation also sought a direction to the authorities to take appropriate action against all those persons illegally managing, controlling and regulating the car park area without any lawful authority, besides to take appropriate action against all those persons illegally collecting car parking charges without any lawful authority from visitors parking their cars in the Central station.
In its order, the bench said the parking problem at the station has aggravated as the Metro work, over a period of time, has continued to require a larger work area. A plan has been produced before it (marked as “A”) which shows that regular car parking space of 61 cars was available, where the contract was stated now to have been awarded.
“In respect of the premium car parking of 48 cars, the tender is slated to be opened on June 22 and the counsel for railways assures that within one month thereafter, the tender will be finalised. In the meantime, we direct that the railways should make arrangements through their own personnel to monitor the premium car parking. The railways can compensate itself by collecting the charges for the premium car parking and appropriating it in the meantime. The concerned police authorities would render all assistance at the site”, the bench added.
