New pay and park system eases traffic chaos at Chalai

Thiruvananthapuram: The narrow road that connects the ever buzzing Chalai market from Gandhipark Square to Killipallam Junction has always been a picture of chaos with the path being congested by vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Kerala Vyapari Vyavasaya Ekopana Samithi’s (KVVES) Chalai main unit, the city corporation and traffic police have finally come up with a solution that has eased up the situation in Chalai market. A pay and park system has been put into effect from mid-October, which also features one-side parking that shifts between left and right side of the street once in three days.

The recently implemented system also features a new parking spot nearby Chandra Press, exclusively allotted for parking of owners and staff of shops in the market. Rafeeq A P P, president of Chalai main unit of KVVES added that the merchants of Chalai have been waiting for a market free of traffic snarls for the past 25 years. “From Monday to Wednesday the parking is restricted to just the right side of the street whereas from Thursday to Saturday it shifts to the left side. Thereby the merchants will both share parking on their respective sides for three days each. The situation has got so much better that even an ambulance on duty passed through the streets last week without any hassle,” said Rafeeq.

Ward councillor S K P Ramesh added that the initiative has finally solved the long-standing traffic congestion in the streets. “There are about 4,000 shops across the market. The main traffic issue was caused by the parked vehicles of merchants and staff themselves which had also resulted in difficulties for pedestrians walking across the street amidst the traffic. The project has allowed a solution to all the troubles,” he said.

During fire outbreaks, narrow congested roads had posed trouble for fire force department to get water tenders into the site of outbreak. Traffic ACP M K Zulfiquer said that the current system, which has been implemented at Chalai, is a permanent fix for such issues. Traffic wardens have been assigned across the street between Gandhipark and Killipalam to direct and control the parking of vehicles by customers between 8am and 8pm from Monday to Saturday. Normal parking rates that are implemented within city limits will be applicable in Chalai market as well.