The Coimbatore Corporation’s proposal to introduce a paid parking on NSR Road and other streets has met with objection from consumer body. | Photo Credit: M. Periasamy more-in Coimbatore Consumer Cause has asked the civic body to not go ahead with its paid parking project in city, saying it would be contempt of court. In his letter, the organisation’s Secretary K. Kathirmathiyon said when the Corporation in 1996 wanted to collect parking fee for parking on road, the Principal District Munsiff Court here had refrained it from doing so. In its order, the court had also said the Corporation was doing so without any provision in the city Municipal Corporation Act and rules and it could not collect such fee. Thereafter, the Corporation did not collect. But now the Corporation had embarked on the move to collect parking fee. The Corporation’s claim that it wanted to discourage parking on roads by collecting fee was unethical, unfair and illegal. If the Corporation were genuine in solving traffic problem in the city, it should ensure parking places in all commercial establishments in the city, as per rule. For its failure, how could the Corporation punish public by collecting fee. In fact, the affluent section of the society that could afford the parking fee, would still park vehicles even if that were to cause traffic congestion, Mr. Kathirmathiyon contended. The Corporation would not be able to collect parking fee on roads maintained by either the State Highways or National Highways as the roads were their property and they were unlikely not issue no-objection certificate. In fact, the departments had sent repeated letters to the Corporation, to which it was yet to respond. This was not the first time that the Corporation had over stepped its limits. It had been collecting rent for shops constructed by encroaching on highways, allowing illegal advertisements on those roads without obtaining no-objection certificate, permitting milk parlous despite objection by Highways Department and constructing its offices without obtaining Local Planning Authority’s consent. Therefore, the latest move to collecting parking fee appeared to be aimed at only generating revenue and the consumer organisation opposed the same, Mr. Kathirmathiyon said and warned of legal action of the Corporation went ahead.

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