CHENNAI: Lack of parking space is a challenge that every commuter at a railway station in the city faces.
Though two-wheeler parking space was closed in Perambur railway station, there is always a large number of bikes parked inside.
A contract employee at the parking counter said, “The contract closed on August 9; vehicles here will be moved on Sunday night. On Monday, the space would be locked until a new tender is given. Until then, vehicles can be parked in the Perambur Carriage Works station.”
At the Central railway station, the parking lot for persons with disability (PwD) has been closed using barricades for more than one month. However, on Sunday, many bikes and cycles were found parked inside. “Though it’s supposed to be used for disabled passengers only, others also use it. Whenever police arrive, they lock the vehicles but that doesn’t resolve the problem,” said an auto driver in the area.
In Egmore railway station, space is allocated for PwDs at the main entrance but everyone parks their vehicle there. At the Park Station, which is being renovated for Rs 10.68 crore under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), there is no parking facility.
“One of the major issues in suburban stations is the lack of parking space, which does not meet the growing demand. In western suburbs, railway stations are installing CCTV on platforms. These could be installed in parking spaces too, and also a shelter and proper lights,” said T Sadagopan, president of TN Progressive Consumer Centre.
In Tambaram station, though the railway owns the land, a resident stated that it was not providing the space to park four-wheelers.
When contacted, a senior official attached to the Chennai division of Southern Railway said, “Under the ABSS scheme, there are plans for the development of parking spaces in major stations in the city. In Park station, for example, it’s difficult to find a space to build a parking lot, as it’s a congested area. But, at the Central railway station there is parking space available. We’re trying to see if there are any possibilities at Park station also. We’ll ensure that the parking space for disabled people is not occupied by other passengers.”