The new footpaths at P.T. Rajan Salai in K.K. Nagar have been converted into a ‘parking lot’, not by residents or motorists visiting the locality. It is the K.K. Nagar police, with their seized vehicles — two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws — occupying a section of the footpaths on both sides of the road. With the Sivan Park nearby, the footpaths on P.T. Rajan Salai are well-hoofed.
They were built in February 2020 following the widening of stormwater drains by Greater Chennai Corporation.
With a series of lockdowns from March, the space remained hugely unused, and the K.K. Nagar police found this use for it.
A few residents point out that besides the seized vehicles, regular vehicles also parked on the road margins, hindering traffic movement.
“During weekends, the park witnesses many visitors. However, accessing the park by walk is difficult, especially with children,” says S. Maheshwari, a resident of K.K. Nagar.
The Chennai City Police Commissionerate has specified a location for each of its four police zones to keep seized vehicles, because these vehicles should be kept safely till their owners’ legal cases come to a conclusion. Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore is one such location.
Police sources say having vehicles within eyesight — that is, near the police station — would insure them greatly against the possibility of theft. Lack of space on station premises causes them to park these vehicles on footpaths and roads, they add.
Of the 12 police districts within the four police zones (north, south, east and west) in the city, the T. Nagar police district in South Police Zone is the smallest with 11 police stations. While the Vadapalani, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam and Ashok Nagar police stations are among those in the T. Nagar police district that got new and own buildings in recent years, the K.K Nagar police station continues to be situated in a dilapidated and cramped building.