Shanthi Colony Road struggles with unregulated parking of vehicles

Concerns over unregulated parking and traffic congestion on Shanthi Colony Road in Anna Nagar due to increasing commercial establishments.

Road-users have expressed concern over unregulated parking of four-wheelers and lack of traffic rule enforcement on Shanthi Colony Road (4th Avenue) at Anna Nagar. The increasing number of commercial establishments along the stretch, without parking lots, has been adding to the woes of commuters, especially at evening peak hours.

Shanthi Colony Road was once preferred by commuters going from E.V.R. Periyar Salai towards Thirumangalam so as to bypass the buzzing Anna Nagar Second Avenue.

Now, cafes and restaurants have mushroomed on either side of the road. They have been attracting huge crowds, especially in the evenings and at weekends, says P. Ananya, a resident of Anna Nagar. “People who frequent these eateries park their cars on the road for lack of parking areas. Only a few shops have in-built parking lots, while a handful of others have valet parking service,” she says.

Commuters point out that they are unable to navigate through the road because of haphazard parking. “We have been facing congestion triggered by unauthorised parking immediately after entering the road. Cars have been parked on half of the road, at least for 800 metres,” says J. Sundararaman, a software professional who often commutes through Shanthi Colony.

James Mathew, another commuter, says the double lane on one side of the road gets choked at evening peak hours when cars are parked near restaurants. The stretch also houses other commercial establishments, training institutes, and hospitals that receive a lot of visitors. “Vehicles parked on the road bring the traffic to a standstill. Pedestrians are also facing hardship. Since four-wheelers occupy the road, two-wheelers are parked on the pathways, hindering the movement of pedestrian.”

Many commuters want the Chennai Corporation to build a multi-level car park at Anna Nagar to reduce traffic congestion and the police to regulate the movement of vehicles and enforce parking rules.