No takers for 3-hour free parking at MLCP in T Nagar

CHENNAI: How many know that parking at the Multi-Level Car Parking (MLCP) facility in T Nagar is free for 3 hours from October 13? Not many are aware, or perhaps, denizens don’t seem to care, as the public usage of the MLCP remains minimal.

Out of 512 bike parking spaces, only around 10 are used at any given time of day. The same applies to car parking slots where only 80 out of 222 are utilised regularly. Many vehicles continue to park on pavements and in ‘No Parking’ zones.

The MLCP was inaugurated in February 2021 on Thanikachalam Road in T Nagar at Rs 40.7 crore. It has the capacity to accommodate 732 vehicles at a time. This includes 513 bikes across six floors, and 222 cars in two basements and on the first floor. Parking fees are Rs 20 for cars and Rs 5 per hour for two-wheelers.

To alleviate parking congestion in Pondy Bazaar and encourage the public to use the MLCP, the civic body implemented the three-hour free parking initiative on October 13 this year. “However, on an average, usage has been abysmal with a slight increase to 100-120 on weekends,” said a staff member at the MLCP.

VS Jayaraman, a resident of T Nagar, opined, “Strict enforcement of traffic rules is necessary in Pondy Bazaar. Fines for violators should be increased, and the repaired lifts in the MLCP need to be restored.”

During the Deepavali festival season, there were 280 cars parked in the MLCP on a single day. “Many are unaware of the ‘3-hour free parking’ initiative. There are battery-operated cars to reduce long walking distances,” added the staff member.

Mukand, a resident from Perungudi, shared, “I started using the MLCP only recently, and I used pay Rs 20/hour, but now that it’s free for 3 hours, I will continue to use this facility only.”

Until 2023, the MLCP was managed by Toorq Media Services. After their contract ended, GCC awarded the contract to Vetonics for a year. Due to a lack of maintenance, that contract was terminated after 9 months.

The MLCP was closed for nearly three months till August this year. As Toorq Media faced losses during the COVID-19 outbreak and sought arbitration from the Madras High Court to resume their contract for an additional two months.

An official from the Corporation told DT Next, “After Toorq Media filed for arbitration, we issued a one-month work order in October. Since they didn’t respond, we requested a written explanation. New tenders will be issued from January onwards.”

AV Venugopal, programme manager, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), pointed out: “For any MLCP to be successful, parking charges in the surrounding 500-metre area must be more than the MLCP charge. Also, traffic enforcement and fines must be strictly enforced by traffic personnel. Cities like Pune, Srinagar in Jammu Kashmir and Singapore are successfully running the MLCP.”