Traffic mess: PCMC blames Cidco for lack of parking lots
The Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has blamed the City And Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) for the traffic menace in the PCMC node as the latter has neither allotted spaces for parking lots, nor developed any multilevel parking plazas in the area. This has led to haphazard parking, clogged roads and increase in traffic congestion in the area.
In the past few year, the number of vehicles in PCMC areas has increased, but the road space has remained the same, leading to illegal parking alongside roads. Along with narrow lanes, the lack of parking spaces has compounded the traffic menace in Kharghar, Kamothe, Kalamboli and Roadpali
Sanjay Katekar, city engineer, PCMC, said they have spoken to Cidco about the lack of parking spaces. “The transfer process for daily bazaar plots and headquarters have been done. We are yet to get other plots reserved for different amenities. The Development Plan of the node is being made and sector-wise analysis would be done for the lack of amenities. Cidco has not developed many parking plazas,” he said.
Katekar added that as a solution to the parking problem in the Old Panvel area, a school at a vegetable market will be developed into a parking plaza.
Priya Ratambe, public relations officer, Cidco, said, “The transfer process for the amenity plots to PCMC has been started, which would be completed within a few months. We are slowly transferring services to PCMC.”
Officials said traffic issues have also aggravated as there are no multilevel parking lots in PCMC node.
“Most of the lanes in Panvel are already narrow. What worsens it is parking on both sides of the road,” said Vighnesh Patil, 45, a Panvel resident.
Ankush Khedkar, senior inspector, traffic, Kalamboli, said they had written to Cidco about the problem, but no action has been taken yet.