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.