The Hindu 02.02.2011
In Chennai, a problem of inadequate parking space
WANT OF SPACE: Cars seen parked on First Avenue Road, Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Chennai recently. — Photo: N. Sridharan
: When two tyres of a brand new car parked on Officers Colony Main Road
in Anna Nagar Western Extension were stolen recently, two major concerns
of city residents cropped up — one, safety of vehicles parked on city
roads and another, the inadequate parking space in residential
localities that forced many to park on the roads.
The city’s vehicular population is clearly on the rise.
Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority’s Second Master Plan itself
says that Chennai needs three times the parking space it currently has
to accommodate the vehicular population it has. It goes on to state that
haphazard parking has led to loss in the road capacity that ranges
between 15% and 60%.
A total of 3,444 cars alone stepped onto the city roads
in a month in 2010. The haphazard parking of four-wheelers on either
side of streets and illegal parking of transport vehicles are just a few
signs to say that parking standards are poor, resulting in traffic
congestion on main and inner roads.
Apartments that were constructed 15 and more years ago
are having more problems. Compounding this problem is the uncontrolled
conversion of residential areas into the commercial in otherwise calm
localities.
Residents of some old apartments, who are considering
demolishing and rebuilding their apartments for various reasons, say
that creating more parking space is one of the factors in mind. The CMDA
now stipulates that the entire stilt floor could be dedicated for
parking vehicles which will not be included in the Floor Space Index.
T. S. Gopalakrishnan, who is on the committee studying
the possibility of demolition of nearly 25-year-old Gitanjali Apartments
in T. Nagar, says when the occupants of the apartments originally came,
there were about 5 cars for the 12 flats. “I remember how one of our
neighbours, Vasudevan, would patiently remove each of the cars parked
behind his , take his own car out, and then park all the vehicles back
early in the morning,” he recalls.
Now, with more cars in the complex and outside, thanks
to commercial establishments coming up in the vicinity, space is a major
issue. “While there are several considerations involved in the proposal
to demolish and rebuild, parking space is definitely one,” Mr.
Gopalakrishnan adds.
Green Peace Constructions Private Limited has completed
nearly 30 projects in lands that had housing board flats, where they
demolish the apartment for a new. It is next working on a Housing Board
Flat in Anna Nagar where 54 flats are getting demolished for a new
apartment with 80 flats, said P.R. Earnarst, Chairman, Green Peace
Constructions Private Limited.
Incidents of car theft are also getting common with poor
parking spaces in apartments. The lack of safety and space has made
retired banker R. Sivakumar drop his plan to purchase a car. “There are
six flats in our TNHB complex and parking space only for two. I have
decided to manage with my two-wheeler, as it is a huge risk parking on
the road,” says the Thiruvanmiyur resident.
The city traffic police have also been receiving
sporadic complaints of cabs and buses belonging to educational
institutions and IT companies being parked in residential areas, mainly
at night. Cases of parking violations have been booked in some incidents
reported, but traffic police personnel feel that a proper parking
strategy can only solve the problem.
“The issue should be discussed with representatives of
the IT sector, educational institutions and cab owners in order to
arrive at an amicable solution. Finding open areas for parking transport
private vehicles could be an alternative,” said Sonal V. Misra, Deputy
Commissioner of Police, Traffic (Central Chennai).
The CMDA regulates developments through issue of
Planning Permission under section 49 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country
Planning Act, 1971.According to officials of the CMDA, parking standards
for obtaining planning permission in the Chennai Metropolitan
Development Area have seen changes in the last decade. Particularly
after the Second Master Plan, various initiatives towards solving
problems pertaining to parking in residential areas have been taken.
Ten per cent of the number of parking spaces stipulated
for a residential construction has to be earmarked for parking vehicles
of visitors in residential apartments with units exceeding six.
In case of Special Buildings with Ground + 3 floors,
group development or multi-storeyed building, applications are directly
admitted in CMDA. It has delegated powers to the Local Bodies within the
Chennai Metropolitan Area to issue planning permission for ordinary
buildings and buildings under normally permissible categories.
The Chennai Corporation has received around 10,000
planning permission applications last year and 90 per cent of them are
for residential units.
There is creation of new parking space in these new
structures. But many of the existing residential structures have no
parking space and the residents who buy cars are forced to park the
vehicles on the streets nearby.
Mayor M.Subramanian said that the civic body would
undertake a survey of roads and streets in all the ten zones for
regulating parking of vehicles. Based on the width and utility of the
roads and streets, decision on permitting parking on one side or both
the sides of the roads would be taken.
“Parking will be strictly prohibited in some stretches based on the results of the survey,” he added.
The parking standards specified in the development
regulations require that no parking space is required for a dwelling
unit with floor area of 25 sqm in Corporation, municipal or IT corridor
areas. In Panchayat areas of the CMA, dwelling units with floor area up
to 50 sqm are exempted from having parking space.
For floor area more than 75 sqm in Corporation,
municipal or IT corridor areas, one car space for every 75 sqm is
stipulated. For floor area of above 100 sqm in panchayat areas of the
CMA, one car space for every 100 sqm is stipulated.
According to builders, many of the buyers seek more
parking spaces for buying apartments at a premium. Many of the dwelling
units which are unsold in upcoming projects are those without adequate
parking space.
Experts say improving parking standards would improve
the scenario, to some extent. But a lot more needs to be done. New
stipulations for planning permissions that address the problem of
parking spaces may offer a solution.
Latest technology for parking more four-wheelers should
be brought in such as multi-level car parking. P. Mani Shankar,
president of Federation of Housing and Flat Promoters Association, says
structural changes can be brought out in old flat by buying the UDS and
providing for parking space.
Former Member-Chief Urban Planner of CMDA S. Santhanam,
who is currently undertaking research in urban redevelopment, says the
roadside parking should not be allowed. “Road is only for pedestrians
and vehicles to move. Even street furniture should not be allowed on the
roads .”
(With inputs from Liffy Thomas, Aloysius Xavier Lopez, Petlee Peter and Meera Srinivasan.)