COIMBATORE: The city corporation and police department are formulating a joint action plan to ensure proper vehicle parking space in Race Course, one of the most sought after commercial and residential locality in the city. However, the move is expected to target the green cover of the locality in the long run as the plan being formulated is to reclaim the lawns and gardens developed in front of individual houses and commercial buildings and utilise it for vehicular parking after demarcating specific parking zones.

"Most houses have a small lawn or trees planted in front of the main entrance which technically occupies public space between the road margin and their property boundary. It belongs to the corporation and is public space," said TK Ponnusamy, Commissioner, Coimbatore Municipal Corporation.

Both the city police and corporation officials claimed that on an average there is about 20 feet of public space occupied by private parties. Most of it is around the 2.5 km circular walking track in the locality.

"There are several commercial establishments that have come up in Race Course and there is a need to ensure adequate parking space at the earliest," said AK Viswanathan, Commissioner, Coimbatore City Police.

The parking issue was discussed at a high level meeting of officials of Coimbatore Municipal corporation, City police, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO), Tamil Nadu State Transport corporation and highways department at the Coimbatore corporation Main Office, late on Thursday evening. Apart from the parking issue, the eviction of roadside vendors occupying pedestrian space also came up during the meeting. City mayor SM Velusamy pointed out that illegal occupation of pedestrian footpaths will not be permitted and the civic body will soon start taking action against vendors.

The city traffic police are also planning to declare more parking zones in the city after discussing it with corporation officials. Parking zones will be identified after introducing traffic regulations on the main roads like Dr Nanjappa Road on a trial basis in the coming days. As many as 12 bus stops have also been identified which are to be relocated for better traffic management. The corporation has also asked TANGEDCO officials to submit a report on the electric poles in the middle of the road that are to be moved. As many as 13 such spots have been identified and handed over to the concerned officials who are expected to respond within the next 15 days.