With an average of 1,500 mini vans and lorries raiding the Koyambedu market everyday, the problem of heavy traffic congestion is never ending. Compounding the problem is the non-functional 4.5-acre parking facility for these vehicles at the market.
M Thyagarajan, head, local tomato merchants says that the history of allotting land to accommodate a parking facility for vehicles coming into the market goes back to 1986, when the government allotted land to ensure the parking of lorries. “The allotted land was later turned into the Omni private bus stand,” he says.
It is after repeated efforts from traders and local transport heads that a 4.5 acre parking facility was allotted, which till today remains non-functional.
Lorries which form the significant part of the vehicles find it difficult to park. “The peak time for the lorries coming into the market is between 4am and 11am. It becomes difficult to handle the traffic during that time, as all the lorries stand in line to off load,” says R Sukumaran, state president, Confederations of Surface Transport.
The 4.5-acre parking facility is said to accommodate 600 lorries at a given time, which many believe will help ease the problem. “It will certainly help in regulating traffic better, today due to the congestion many off load their lorries in the roads,” says Thyagarajan.
The traffic congestion is believed to be increasing as the lorries coming in to the market use all the gates to enter and move out. “In total, there are 13 gates. We have seven gates which allow lorries to come in and six gates which direct them to move out. But today all the gates are used to come in to the market,” says Sukumaran
He feels that this problem is attributed to the lack of security present in each gate to direct these lorries.
Thygarajan adds that children have begun to use the parking facility as a playground and this is also turning out to be a spot for criminal activities. “There was a murder recently in the parking facility. Many use it as a spot to drink alcohol,” he says. All that is needed is an official word from the CMDA and the facility would in turn be used regularly feel transport heads. “There is a tender process involved, post which the CMDA has to declare that this facility can be used by the lorries. Even though private buses and some lorries have started to use the space to park, it would help if we have an official confirmation,” says Sukumaran
Sources in CMDA said that they are in the process of floating tenders and the facility will be ready from September. Sources added that a rest room and sanitation facilities were also being built to provide better services for the drivers.
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