Despite frequent warnings from local administrators, several small and large scale traders in the city are allegedly involved in illegal conversion of parking lots for commercial activities. In the absence of strict legal action or remedial measures by the corporation officials, the directions against such acts are being largely ignored by the traders.
Incidentally, illegal parking in the city is mostly due to encroachment on demarcated parking spots. As a result, drivers are forced to take advantage of paid parking services. Awning and semi-permanent structures, which are common in front of many stores, mostly occupy parking spaces and are used as product display areas or storage spaces.
“The biggest inconvenience is the remotely located paid parking space, on which the customers are forced to depend due to lack of convenient space in front of the shops. There are also instances where roadside spaces are misused by shopkeepers due to failure to maintain parking space for customers,” said V. Sanesh, an accountant at a shop in the city. A simple inspection by the corporation can easily uncover such violations, he added.
Incidentally, most of such shops are located in the Mufassil and KSRTC bus stand premises. There are also many shops on Mavoor and Kallayi roads, where customers are forced to use the side space for parking. Some hotels are also using their parking space for outdoor dining.
At some clothing stores, the parking slot has been converted into a display space.
Manoj Mathew, an electrician from Kottuli said, “One strange thing that has come to my notice is the craze of shop owners to park their vehicles at available places.”
Meanwhile, corporation officials said that during the surprise inspection legal notices were served to the violators. He also claimed that many such places have been vacated after the owners were fined.