Ahead of a crucial meeting with the shopkeepers of D. Devaraj Urs Road, the city’s busiest commercial hub, on the issue of vehicle parking, the Mysuru City Traffic Police will soon engage in talks with the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) on identifying alternative parking sites if parking limitations are enforced on the road to ease space crisis.
The traffic police have proposed a four-hour parking limit for four-wheelers on the road as a remedy to the unending parking woes the shoppers and the public face.
As the four-wheelers of shopkeepers are parked almost the entire day, depriving parking to the shoppers and causing traffic interruptions over “double parking” on the road, the police have come up with the idea of limiting parking for four hours a day to ration the “premium” parking space. If the parking time limit exceeds the time limit, the vehicle would be wheel-locked and the owner has to pay the penalty for getting it unlocked.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sandesh Kumar, who has proposed the idea, told The Hindu that the parking woes on D. Devaraj Urs had remained unresolved since many years despite many efforts by the police and the MCC.
“The maximum use of parking space by the shopkeepers has led to the everlasting crisis and the police are now firm to resolve it, limiting parking time to four hours a day. If the parking duration is exceeded, the vehicle owner has to pay the fine as the wheel gets locked on the charge of obstruction to traffic,” he explained.
The police had a round of meeting with the shopkeepers, who are said to be ‘positive’ to the idea mooted for easing the parking crisis. However, they have sought alternative parking sites for their vehicles around the road if the curbs are enforced. Another crucial meeting is expected soon besides holding talks with the MCC on the locations identified for alternative parking. “We hope to bring the rule into force taking all stakeholders into confidence,” Mr. Kumar said.
According to the police, the 900-metre-long road has dedicated space for the parking of 225 four-wheelers. As per an estimate, around 90 four-wheelers of the shopkeepers are parked almost every day, eventually denying parking space to the shoppers. Besides, the four-wheelers owned by households in the vicinity of the road are also parked there. “We have information that space left for parking would be for around 15-20 cars of shoppers,” the ACP said.
Explaining the plan, Mr. Kumar said the road would be divided into four units for the enforcement of the rule by the traffic police. The policeman on duty in each unit would issue a slip to the owner of the vehicle with the arrival time, indicating at what time the vehicle has to leave the parking lot along with the phone number of the police.
Mr. Kumar said several alternative parking spaces had been identified. They include Gaadi Chowk and Town Hall premises which have a parking infrastructure. “After the meeting with the shopkeepers, we will have consultations with the MCC and thereafter a clear picture would emerge on its enforcement,” he said.
