Salt Lake grapples with illegal parking menace, say locals

KOLKATA: The residents of Salt Lake have alleged that due to illegal parking on several roads, they are facing inconveniences while driving cars or walking on the footpaths. Illegal parking also increases the chances of occurrence of accidents.

According to the residents, a good number of people in and around the City Centre and Bikash Bhavan areas park their cars in front of the houses blocking the gates. The stretch between the City Centre and Karunamoyee via Bikash Bhavan has been narrowed as many cars are being parked daily on the roads, even occupying the right side.

This apart, a section of residents also violates the ‘no parking’ restrictions. Most of them own more than one car and have no space to park the second or the third vehicle. So, they keep the cars on the road or on the footpath.

Police sources claimed that the cars are getting parked on the road in and around Bikash Bhavan as renovation work is going on.

Therefore, those cars which used to be parked inside Bikash Bhavan had to be stationed outside the building temporarily.

Several senior citizens alleged that due to illegal parking across the satellite township they were facing problems while walking and crossing the road. Some roads connecting broadways have been allegedly turned into hotspots of illegal parking.

“It is hard to find a free road in Salt Lake nowadays. Cops should look into the matter and ensure that no cars get parked in ‘no parking’ zones,” said a resident.

“We are aware of the situation in front of Bikash Bhavan but for that no traffic congestion is taking place. However, a section of people who keep their cars on the road refused to cooperate. When we ask them to move the car from the road, they confront us by saying that the road is in front of their houses,” said a traffic police personnel.

Police further claimed that in case cars are found parked in ‘no parking’ zones, the defaulting owners get prosecuted as per the sections of the law.