Police to unclog Kalyan’s busy road with strict parking rules

Shops along the busy stretch from Shivaji Chowk to Bazarpeth police station road in Kalyan (West) are usually obstructed by haphazardly parked vehicles.

Shopkeepers have been demanding the traffic police to decongest the area.

After numerous complaints, the traffic police have decided to implement a parking plan on the stretch and unclog the road.

This busy stretch has the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) headquarters and several shops on both sides of the road.

The traffic police will soon announce parking zones, one-way lane, no-entry lane, odd-and-even parking and diversion on the stretch which has several small internal roads connecting it.

“The road is vital as it links old Kalyan. There are hundreds of shops operating on the stretch. Vehicles are parked on both sides and shopkeepers have complained about blocked entries. We will implement parking rules and diversions on the stretch after the festival season,” said Sukhdev Patil, senior police inspector, Kalyan (West), traffic unit. The traffic police will later extend it to other roads across the city.

Parking will not be allowed at entrance of residential buildings, hospitals, schools and banks. No-parking zone will be demarcated on 5 metres area of busy junctions.

“After the festival, we will go ahead with our plan to have dedicated parking areas and diversions on the stretch,” said the police.

The move by the traffic police will curb haphazard parking of two-wheelers and four-wheelers on the stretch for hours.

Lack of parking lots in the city has led to increased illegal parking. The traffic police have even asked for suggestions from the residents and commuters till the next 10 days.

“People can write to the traffic police department with their suggestions on how to reduce congestion,” added Patil.

Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has failed to implement the parking policy.

“Office-goers park their two-wheelers in front of shops in the morning and take them in the evening. Customers coming to our shops are unable to park their vehicles,” said Hemant Shinkar, who runs a mobile shop on the stretch.

He said that a few months ago, the traffic police put up boards, asking people to park vehicles only during specific timings but no one followed it.

Last year in May, shopkeepers wrote to the traffic police voicing their problems. No action was taken. Residents said they have no option as there is no parking lot in the area.

“There is only one parking lot near the station but cannot accommodate increasing number of vehicles in the city. It’s high time the civic body chalked out a solution,” said Jaya Gaikwad, 38, who parks her two-wheeler on station road before taking the train to Mumbai.