Parking unregulated, city spirals into chaos

Time of India

2 days ago

Chennai: Nearly a month after Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) stopped collecting parking fees, the city's streets have slipped into gridlock — vehicles are crammed into every inch of roadside space, shopkeepers illegally charge visitors, and prime zones such as Marina, Mylapore, Purasawalkam, and T Nagar are choking without regulation.
The mess began after GCC's contract with TEXCO, which earlier managed parking fee collection across the city, ended on July 20. With no alternative system in place, parking has turned chaotic: shopkeepers at beaches and commercial hubs are demanding arbitrary fees, two-wheelers and cars are spilling into no-parking zones, and traffic police have largely stepped back from enforcement.
"Earlier, when the civic body charged for two-wheeler parking, collectors often demanded more than the official rate.
Now, there is no regulation at the beach, and the newly inaugurated proposed Blue Flag zone is overwhelmed with crowds. Even with traffic police at entry points, flow control is abysmal. On weekends, vehicles wait 15–20 minutes," said Sasinathan Ganesh of Chepauk.
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He added that shopkeepers often demand 10, 30 or even 50, especially on weekends, leading to arguments. "To avoid trouble, we pay. Many visitors say stall owners pocket the money under the pretext of 'looking after' vehicles, though there are no authorised attendants," he said.
In Mylapore, locals allege showroom dealers block bus route roads with barricades to reserve parking for customers, forcing temple visitors to park on the road and adding to congestion. "Despite repeated complaints, including on social media, the issue is ignored," said B Neelakantan of Vivekanandapuram residents welfare association, Mylapore.
In T Nagar, Rameshwaram Street resident Sooriya Basheer said two-wheelers now occupy every corner, including no-parking zones, without police action.
"Earlier, when fees were collected, traffic police towed away vehicles in no-parking areas. Now, even stormwater drain slabs are used as parking spaces. The multi-level car parking has also remained defunct for the past few weeks," he said.
Core areas such as T Nagar and MC Road will soon come under the Smart City project, with monitoring via the integrated command and control centre (ICCC). Cameras will be installed, and parking charges here will remain unchanged for now, said mayor R Priya.
Deputy mayor M Mahesh Kumar said a region-wise study on parking models is underway, and tenders will be floated this month. "The traffic police should handle vehicles parked in unauthorised spots," he added. S Megalina Iden, deputy commissioner (east), said they will inspect and review the traffic congestion in Mylapore.
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