Efforts to identify vacant government land for developing free public parking facilities in Kozhikode city are yet to gain momentum, leaving the traffic police dependent on temporary arrangements to manage the shortage, particularly during festivals and mass gatherings. Proposals submitted earlier by the traffic police and the Revenue department to identify and utilise vacant revenue land for parking have not made much progress. The delay has coincided with a growing presence of private parking operators, who are increasingly identifying properties along major city roads.
“During festival seasons and mass events, the police are forced to run from pillar to post to find parking spaces that can be made available to the public. Several acres of unused revenue land are available within the city limits and can be utilised to address the issue,” said a retired traffic police officer who was earlier associated with the design of affordable parking projects in Kozhikode.
According to him, making optimum use of such land could help address the parking shortage without involving substantial additional expenditure for the government. However, the availability and legal status of individual parcels would have to be assessed before they are opened for public use.
Leaders of various drivers’ unions have called for a district-level direction to government departments to prepare an inventory of unused land under their control and examine the possibility of using suitable properties for public parking. They have also suggested that dilapidated buildings on such properties be demolished, wherever feasible, to make the land available for parking.
“Local administrators should also take the initiative to identify possible sites and bring them to the notice of the authorities concerned. As no major construction would be required in many cases, suitable spaces could be opened for public parking without much delay,” said P. Raveendran, a retired Public Works department official. Mr. Raveendran said privately owned properties along major roads could also be considered if they were available on affordable lease terms.
Delay in completing projects
The demand for additional public parking facilities comes amid the prolonged delay in completing multi-level parking projects proposed in the city. Projects proposed at Mananchira and the Railway Station link road are yet to be completed, adding to the difficulties faced by motorists during festivals and other major events.
With government-backed parking facilities taking time to materialise, private operators have been expanding their presence by identifying properties along city roads. “Enforcement action can be intensified only when adequate space is available for lawful parking. Curbing wayside parking can contribute significantly to the smooth flow of traffic,” said a senior officer of the Traffic Control team in Kozhikode city. The officer said the cooperation of local administrative authorities would be crucial to improving parking facilities in view of the steady increase in the number of vehicles in the city.
Revenue department sources, meanwhile, said civil disputes involving some government and private properties had made it difficult to proceed with a quick action plan. More discussions would be required to revive the earlier proposals and resolve the technical and legal issues involved, they said.