The residents have urged the Coimbatore Corporation to open the newly constructed Race Course parking facility to ease congestion.
| Photo Credit: PERIASAMY M
A newly constructed surface parking facility near Thomas Park junction at Race Course, developed by the Coimbatore Corporation, remains underutilised even as vehicles continue to be parked along the busy stretch.The one-acre facility, located behind the 108 Vinayagar Temple near Thomas Park junction, was constructed at a cost of ₹99 lakh. The project was taken up to regulate vehicle parking in the area, which witnesses heavy traffic movement during weekends and public events.However, motorists continue to park vehicles on both sides of the road near Thomas Park junction and the Media Tower stretch, narrowing the carriageway despite the area being declared a no-parking zone.Residents and regular commuters said the stretch witnesses increased public gathering during evenings and weekends, with many visitors stopping near roadside food stalls and open spaces around the junction.“Vehicle movement becomes difficult near Thomas Park junction during evenings and weekends as many visitors park along the road while gathering near food stalls and open spaces in the area. Despite the increasing crowd, there is no effective regulation of parking or traffic movement,” said Tharun Raj, a regular commuter.K. Pradeep, another commuter, said the Corporation should ensure that the newly created parking facility is fully utilised. “Roadside parking along the stretch should be redirected to the new facility once it becomes fully operational. This would help prevent narrowing of the carriageway and improve traffic flow in the area,” he said.The Corporation officials said the facility has been opened on a trial basis and is currently being operated by the civic body. The process to finalise parking charges and float tenders is under way.“For the past week, parking fees have been collected on a trial basis. However, only a limited number of vehicles, around 30 cars, have been using the facility so far,” an official said.The officials said awareness measures, including banners and signboards near the Race Course stretch, were being planned to inform motorists about the availability of the parking space.“We are working on the pricing structure before floating the tender. Once the tender process is completed, the contractor will take over operations and manage the parking facility,” the official added. Published - May 22, 2026 06:47 pm IST
