Thiruvananthapuram: Builders breach park space norm
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: New textile shops and eateries lacking parking space have come up along the Killipalam-Attakulangara bypass road, adding to the traffic jams caused by illegal truck parking, despite the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) rapping the corporation in its report for permitting new shops. A massive textile shop close to SKP Timber Road has no space reserved for four-wheelers in spite of flaunting a large floor space. This Onam, unprecedented jams were experienced here.
The 2.1-km arterial bypass is used by the interstate vehicles to enter and exit heart of the city through Kaliyikkavila- Karamana highway. “The trucks from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka come to Chalai market with goods and park on the bypass virtually taking over two out of the four-lane road. Adding to the woes, we have new fruit-vegetable supermarkets and textiles near Kuriyathi road. On the Attakulangara end of the bypass, new bakeries have come up. Traffic block has only worsened,” said Ajesh C., a resident of Yamuna Nagar.
As per truck drivers, the present ‘lorry park’ in Chalai is unable to cater to most of around 200 trucks that supply groceries to Chala. “Since there are restrictions to ply heavy goods vehicles on city roads during the day, many trucks that reach here early morning has to wait at the bypass until dusk. If we are given an alternate space to park inside (Erumakuzhy) we will be happy not to hinder traffic,” said S. Selvamani, a trucker from Tuticorin.