KOCHI: Expressing concern over the fatal accidents on the Container Terminal Road at Vallarpadom due to the illegal parking of container trucks, the Kerala High Court on Monday directed the state government to inform it whether there was any parking slot reserved for the trucks.

The court also directed Ernakulam District Collector and National Highways Authority of India project director to convey their opinions on the issue and posted the case for July 23.  The court issued the order while considering a petition filed by George Abraham of Pachalam, an Uber taxi driver, seeking a directive to the state government to remove all encroachments and illegal parking on the Container Terminal Road stretch.

Counsel for the petitioner C S Manu submitted that the High Court had earlier held that the state was duty bound to remove vehicles parked on the sides of important roads. However, illegal parking still continued on the Container Road even after repeated fatal accidents. 

According to the petitioner, the accidents caused by the illegal parking of trucks had claimed many lives. 
The Mulavukad police are not taking action against the illegal parking and they seem to be acting hand in glove with certain transporters who have encroached on the premises of the lavatory complex at the Ponnarimangalam toll plaza and made it a place for their illegal activities. 

Though a complaint was filed before the District Collector seeking to ban illegal parking, no action had been taken. He also pointed out that when parking was banned in that area, the number of accidents had come down.

Excerpts from the petition
2016
Accidents: 58
Death: 6
Injured: 64
2017
Accidents: 40
Death: 1
2018
Accidents: 10
Death: 1
Injured: 7

Petitioner says

What the petitioner says
The District Collector being the chairman of the District Road Safety Council is bound to take action against the illegal parking.