The Hindu              30.12.2013

Soon, vehicle users have to pay for parking around Gandhi Market

Even as Tiruchirapalli City Corporation is planning a
slew of measures to renovate and re-develop the over 70-year-old Gandhi
Market, roads around the market continue to be constricted by
encroachments by platform traders and indiscriminate parking of
vehicles.

Taking cognisance of the congestion around
the market, the civic body has planned to shift the onion and banana
wholesale markets to Sengulam Colony market and Viragupettai overhead
water tank complex.

The corporation has also turned
its attention to the problem of vehicles being parked by visitors. It
has decided to create two two-wheeler parking lots in an attempt to
regulate the vehicle parking and to ensure that the disorderly parking
of vehicles does not hinder traffic flow. The two temporary parking lots
are to be established in front of the existing fish market and towards
the East Boulevard Road up to
Vazhakkai Mandi
.
The corporation has also fixed a parking fee of Rs. 2 for bicycles and
Rs. 4 for motorcycles or mopeds for four hours. The fee was approved by
the corporation council last week. An official resolution on the subject
said it had become essential to regulate the parking of vehicles in the
interest of traders and people visiting the market.

Welcoming
the move, Rangarajan, a city resident who frequents the market, pointed
out that all along visitors to the market had to park their vehicles on
the roadside as there was no designated parking area. The one near War
Memorial was always full. However, he insisted that the corporation take
steps to regulate the parking of lorries transporting goods and
strictly enforce the timings for their entry to the city.

The
civic body has also decided to construct two permanent parking lots at
the old slaughter house and diamond jubilee complex, which are to be
renovated soon.