Two more multi-level parking facilities in the capital
The parking space available in the capital's busiest junctions and major commercial areas is set to expand in the near future with the commissioning of more multi-level car parking lots (MLCPs).
According to Thiruvananthapuram Corporation officials, the ongoing work on the MLCP near Medical College junction is almost complete and is expected to be inaugurated soon. The MLCP at Medical College is being completed at a cost of ₹19 crore. It can accommodate a total of 210 cars. Another parking lot of a similar design is coming up at one end of Putharikandam Maithanam. The work is expected to be completed by June. One more multi-level parking lot project is being implemented near Chala Market. Currently, pedestrians find it hard to navigate through the road that passes through the centre of the market as vehicles are parked haphazardly on either side, leaving only a narrow space for vehicles and people to pass through. The parking lots near the commercial hub are expected to reduce congestion inside the market. The funds allocated for the work on multi-level car parking lots in Putharikandam Maithanam and Medical College, which were earlier planned under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 1.0 scheme, were last year transferred to the Smart City project as these projects could not be accommodated under AMRUT 2.0. Back in 2018, administrative sanction was accorded to a total of three MLCPs. The parking lot at the Corporation premises in Palayam with seven floors and a capacity to park 102 cars was completed earlier. However, with the time period for AMRUT 1.0 coming to an end in 2023, it was decided to transfer the funds to the ongoing Smart City. The AMRUT 1.0 scheme had a component for 'improvement in urban transport facilities', under which the MLCPs were planned. However, the AMRUT 2.0, which focuses more on drinking water related issues, does not have such a component. Despite the opening of MLCPs at Palayam and Thampanoor, wayside parking has not reduced drastically, pointing to the acute shortage of parking space within the city.
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