Vizag airport parking space handicapped

Visakhapatnam: Instead of  helping the physically-challenged, passengers and even high-ranking officials and VIPs are brazenly occupying the car parking space reserved for the disabled at the city airport.  These ‘high and mighty’ types can be seen arguing with the parking attendants, flamboyantly announcing their official designations when their vehicles get ‘chained’ for wrong parking.

During a reality check on Tuesday, this correspondent found two cars chained for wrong parking at the space earmarked for the disabled. The airport has reserved spaces for ‘pick ups’ and ‘drop offs’ and also for parking. However, general passengers are violating the parking rule, forcing the higher authorities to intervene in these petty issues.

When asked, the two persons  manning the parking lot admitted there were  unpleasant situations arising out of traffic rule violations. Mr Venkat, a parking attendant, said, “Passengers picking fights over parking is a daily headache for us. As the disabled parking space is right in front of the gates, they try to park their vehicles there since it’s convenient. As it is a big parking space, we find it difficult to keep an eye on the movement of each and every vehicles. So when we are busy in other parking lots, the passengers park at the ‘no parking’ and disabled parking zones. To stop it, when we chain the vehicle or impose a fine, they threaten us with dire consequences showing off their official designations.”

“We have to take the violators to the terminal manager as they do not listen to us. Some try to show their ignorance about the parking space rules. A good number of people are being fined for wrong parking now,” he said. Expressing concern over the poor traffic and parking sense of some passengers, Vizag Airport director G. Prakash Reddy said, “We have been taking all measures to make  the airport Divyang-friendly. However, some passengers are violating the traffic rules and encroaching on the parking space reserved for the Divyangs. I have asked the concerned staff not to let the passengers off for wrong parking, especially at spaces earmarked for the differently-abled.”

“I urge the passengers to adhere to the traffic rules and not to inconvenience the Divyangs. Also, to let the parking staff do their duty as per the rules and regulations for the convenience of all.  Moreover, it diverts our time and energy to unnecessary things,” suggested the airport director.