Thiruvananthapuram: Medical College Hospital's parking bursts at seems

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Medical College development plan envisages two multi-level parking lots on its campus. A complex in front of the super-specialty block and another next to the casualty wing were in the pipeline. However, the footfall on the campus continues to swell annually as the plans remain on paper. Illegal parking is plenty even on Medical College Ulloor road as scanning centres, laboratories and eateries also lack space to park vehicles.

As per traffic police officials, during peak hours, up to 3,000 four-wheelers clog the roads to the premier medical institution. Unlike other public places, hospitals have external vehicle population that stay longer on the campus. “Based on my knowledge, DPR for the complex in front of the multispecialty block has been prepared. It’s closer to reality and just the agency has to be fixed,” said Medical College Councillor S.S. Sindhu.

“Corporation could have established a parking complex on Medical College Ulloor road where it owns vacant space. We found it hard to find land to construct a lodge for hospital visitors,” she added. Car drivers coming to super-specialty block say that sometimes, they have to tread more than half a kilometre to find space to park. The no-parking zone in front of SAT hospital and Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) also remain saturated.

Local police officers had earlier told Deccan Chronicle that vehicles cannot be towed away as there is a humane angle involved. The premier premises have institutions like College of Nursing, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dental College, SCT Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology among others.