Thiruvananthapuram: A meeting of the traffic advisory committee here on Wednesday has decided to have paid parking facilities along more city roads.
The plan is to have such facilities on Murinjapalam-Kumarapuram Road, Palayam-Jubilee Hospital Road and at the stretch outside the rear gate of Sanskrit College to VJT Hall and Sreemoolam Club - Vazhuthacaud stretch.
Mayor V K Prasanth, also the chairman of the traffic advisory committee, has directed the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac) to undertake a feasibility study on introducing paid parking on Kumarapuram-Venpalavattom Road and Pottakuzhi-Medical college stretch, considering the presence of many hospitals in those areas.
Large number of vehicles were often seen parked on either side of Kumarapuram-Venpalavattom road and on one side of the Murinjapalam-Medical College Road.
Parking spaces in hospitals hardly meet the requirements.
“We will consider the implementation of the proposal only after getting Natpac’s feasibility study report. Despite having sufficient width, some of the city stretches are always clogged owing to the constant presence of vehicles,” Prasanth said.
The meeting also decided to disallow parking on both sides of some of the congested stretches, such as SS Kovil Road, Attakulangara- Karamana Road and Killipalam-Attukal Road.
“We have received complaints from councillors and local residents saying those stretches are already congested and unregulated parking on either side has further worsened the situation. We won't be implementing paid parking on such stretches. Instead, parking will be allowed only on one side,” Satish Kumar, chairman, town planning standing committee, said.
The committee has also been considering a proposal to hike the daily wages of traffic wardens. The wardens have now been provided Rs 400 and the proposal was to raise it to Rs 600.
“The hike revision would be considered after assessing the income and expenditure,” Prasanth said.
Revenue officials said the corporation has garnered a reserve of Rs 30 lakh in two years after dispersing the remuneration of over 100 traffic wardens, deployed on various by-lanes and main roads from Kesavadasapuram to Killipalam.
The corporation has been able to save between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 monthly after expenses.