UT Matters - Absence of parking space on J.N. Street in Puducherry compounds traffic woes

As a result vehicles are parked in residential areas too

The absence of proper parking spaces in commercial buildings on Jawaharlal Nehru Street in the city leads to severe traffic jams, especially during the peak hours.

The situation is particularly severe in front of the Goubert Market and the junction of Mahatma Gandhi Road and Mission Street where illegal parking often spills into residential areas.

A shoppers paradise, most of the textile showrooms, jewellery outlets, restaurants and other commercial establishments are situated on J.N. Street. But the street is now presenting a chaotic look with the long line of vehicles, particularly two-wheelers and cars being parked on both sides of the road.

Thousands of vehicles pass through the main hub and a substantial number of them can be seen, parked in no parking spaces and violating the rules. The parking slots for two-wheelers are always taken before 10 a.m. and two-wheelers of shoppers are found crammed into adjoining lanes for most part of the day.

A senior traffic police official said that limited space was the main reason for traffic going haywire on the road. In addition to that employees of shops were also taking away the designated parking slots, he added.

“The Department has requested traders and shopkeepers not to fill all designated parking slots and to keep spaces for shoppers. We will we taking up the issue with traders at the Road Safety meeting,” he said.

“With the rise in number of vehicles and also encroachments on the pavements, the public face difficulty in accessing the shops and establishments. At one stage, the government introduced parking fees and it was withdrawn following public outcry against the fee collection. There is no safety for vehicle riders and chaotic parking aggravates the situation,” said S. Kasturi, a resident.