Thiruvananthapuram: Notice to traders on parking slots

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With violations becoming rampant, the town planning wing under the city corporation has pulled up traders who have illegally converted parking space for commercial activities in the state capital. The authorities have served notices to around 30 commercial establishments including eateries functioning in designated parking lots of buildings.  

A top official of the civic body said that MG Road and Kuravankonam are the two heavily commercialized stretches infamous for such violations.  Kings restaurant, Imperial kitchen and Style Plus are some of the violators at Kuravank-onam who have been booked by the civic authorities.  The Kerala Municipality Act mandates designated parking space in every commercial structure.  The civic body has served Provisional Order (PO) to these establishments.

“As per the order, the violator should respond within 15 days and following which a hearing will be scheduled.  After the hearing, we will be serving a confirmation order asking them to reinstate the parking space. If they don’t do it we will do it at their expense,” said the official.

Town planning committee chairman Palayam Rajan said that the traders will be given the chance to regularise the space. “We will not be doing anything drastic.  The violators will be given the chance to regularise the space,” said Mr Palayam Rajan.

Meanwhile, the traffic authorities are having a hard time managing traffic and parking in these stretches. A top official of the traffic wing said that they have been raising this issue in the traffic advisory committee on a regular basis.  

“We have a hard time managing traffic in the stretch due to haphazard parking.  VIP vehicles often frequent the stretch and ensuring smooth traffic is always a challenge.  At Kuravankonam stretch, the civic body should collect parking fee like they do at MG Road. This would bring some traffic discipline,” said a top official.