Coimbatore, Aug 16 (NationPress) Every day, as vehicles spill onto footpaths and choke arterial roads, Coimbatore’s residents are reminded of a parking policy that was promised but never delivered.

Despite two years of planning, studies, and consultations, the initiative announced by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and city police remains stalled, leaving the city’s traffic and pedestrian safety problems to worsen.

Back in 2022, hopes were high when the CCMC engaged the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), a global non-profit specializing in sustainable mobility, to conduct a feasibility study for implementing a structured on-street parking system.

RS Puram and Race Course were selected as pilot areas, with Coimbatore expected to follow Chennai in adopting a formal parking policy.

A major stakeholders’ workshop involving officials, police, experts, and social activists was held on November 18 that year, resulting in a comprehensive report set for inclusion in the 2023 civic budget.

Since then, the plan has been shelved with no tangible progress, and the absence of regulated parking has heavily impacted the city.

Two-wheelers and cars routinely occupy footpaths, pushing pedestrians into traffic, exacerbating congestion on key routes.

Social activist M. Rajendran stated, “For years, we have been urging the corporation to mark proper parking spaces and enforce restrictions. Instead, inaction has only deepened the problem. Footpaths belong to people, not vehicles.”

In response to criticism, CCMC Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran mentioned that the revival of the project has commenced, with RS Puram identified for the first phase.

Nine streets in that area have been mapped for on-street parking, including designated paid-parking and no-parking stretches. The plan will also connect with the Multi-Level Car Parking facility on DB Road.

According to the commissioner, ITDP’s ongoing study will assess street capacity, segregation of cars and two-wheelers, peak-hour demands, and potential parking charges.

“Public resistance to paid parking is likely, but we will address those concerns before implementing the policy,” he noted.

Nonetheless, public skepticism persists. An earlier paid-parking system on DB Road had to be withdrawn following strong protests, and sources admit the corporation is cautious about advancing the project ahead of next year’s state Assembly elections.

With traffic snarls intensifying and pedestrian safety increasingly at risk, residents caution that further delay could escalate Coimbatore’s parking dilemma into a full-blown crisis. For the city, a decisive policy shift remains both overdue and urgent.