The city Corporation’s first multilevel parking lot located on the Corporation office premises near Palayam is set to be inaugurated on Monday, almost ten months after much of the work on the structure was completed. The hourly rates for the public to park their vehicles here are yet to be decided.
The work on yet another multilevel parking lot near the Saphalyam complex at Palayam will also be inaugurated on Monday. This project will be as part of the Corporation’s Smart City projects. Work on another parking lot is progressing at Putharikkandam while one more proposed at the Medical College junction is at its design stage.
December last
The structure of the parking lot on the Corporation office premises was completed by December last. But the work on the fire safety equipment and testing had remained pending. The technicians from the Coimbatore-based company that constructed the facility were unable to travel to the city after the COVID-19 pandemic struck, which further delayed its commissioning.
“The rates for parking have to be discussed in the finance committee after which it will be presented in the council for approval. Discussions will also have to be held with the employees’ unions to decide on whether the employees should have it free or should they pay a concession rate,” said a Corporation official.
Across seven floors, the facility can accommodate 102 cars at a time. A sensor placed at the entry point calculates the weight and dimensions of the incoming vehicle, based on which the most suitable space is allocated by the system. On swiping the card provided at the entry point, the ramp from the specific spot allocated will arrive on the ground floor. The driver can leave the vehicle and exit the ramp, after which it will move and lock into the space allocated. During exit, the location and the time taken for the car to be brought to the ground floor will be indicated on swiping the card at the out-booth.
Executed under the Central government’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, the parking lot was completed at a cost of ₹5.64 crore. Out of this, 50% of the cost was borne by the city Corporation, 30% by the Central government, and 20% by the State government.
