Chennai: Non-metro users upset about parking fee hike

CHENNAI: The CMRL decision to increase parking rates to discourage non-commuters from parking in metro rail stations has not gone down well with motorists.
People who used to park their two-wheelers and cars at metro stations have now started to look for parking space elsewhere. The hike in tariff is aimed at offering parking space for commuters so that more people will be encouraged to use the trains, said officials.
Commuters of other modes of transport such as MRTS and buses usually park their vehicles in the metro parking lot because it's safer.
Ezhil Arasan, who used to park at Guindy metro station and take a suburban train, said he has to make a detour of 2-3 km to access the suburban station's parking lot. "The metro can do something to make parking spaces accessible and safe for us," he said.
Others like R Meganathan will have to spend more.
"I get only 100 daily as conveyance allowance to travel from Adyar to Poonamallee. Now I must find another place to park," he said. The Guindy suburban station's parking is unsafe as vehicles get damaged there, he added.
Metro stations on the Nandanam to AG-DMS stretch are popular parking spaces, as there are a lot of offices in that area.
A staff at Little Mount station parking lot said people pick a fight about the hike. "But I have to follow the rules," he said.
Non-commuters are identified when people swipe their metro cards at the station. Non-commuters have to be pay double the rate for commuters.
CMRL changed parking tariff for non-commuters on June 13.