The Hindu                     07.04.2013

Koyambedu market gets 7.46-acre paid parking lot

Motorists can hope for a relatively less-congested ride around the Koyambedu market area in the coming weeks.

On Friday, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) opened a new parking lot adjacent to the biomethanation plant. Several lorries, omni-buses and other vehicles that enter the congested market area will be allowed to park in the 7.46-acre open space, for a fee.

The Koyambedu Market Management Committee has identified a contractor and handed over the space to the private entity. Heavy vehicles that require extended stay in the market will be parked in the new facility. Unauthorised parking on the roads is likely to attract severe punishment.

Talking about the new facility, the contractor, Parminder Singh Anand, said 400 vehicles could be parked at a time in the new facility. On an average, 1,500 lorries and other heavy vehicles come to the market every day, bringing in vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Many of these heavy vehicles are parked in a haphazard manner in the vicinity of Koyambedu market leading to heavy traffic congestion during the day. Counters have been set up at the entry and exit points of the new parking area. In addition to the new facility, other initiatives to ease traffic congestion in Koyambedu were introduced this week.

The CMDA, on Friday, also issued a Rs. 20-crore work order for another double-level basement parking facility at the mofussil bus terminus. Over 3,000 motorcycles and 50 cars can be accommodated in the facility, which will be commissioned in a year.

A new link road connecting A Road and E Road will be constructed to facilitate free flow of traffic, an official said.

“More than 99 percent of work on the makeover of roads and drains in the market complex has been completed,” the official said.

The market committee is implementing the work which includes creation of new stormwater drains, widening of roads and concretisation of a 350-metre road connecting gates 7 and 14 that are used by heavy vehicles.

A slew of such efforts are expected to ease congestion in the market which witnesses over one lakh visitors a day.