Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has started a survey to identify areas below flyovers that can be used for parking.
While the focus of the survey is to find space where multi-level parking lots can be constructed, the civic body is also keen on identifying patches where vehicles can be parked in fewer numbers.
Almost all major thoroughfares in Kolkata have dedicated car parking lots allocated by the civic body.
Senior officials said any further addition to the list will affect flow of vehicles.
The need of the hour, they said, is multi-storeyed parking lots. But till such parking lots are built, the KMC wants to use small patches beneath flyovers to park vehicles.
“We are looking for spaces to build multi-level parking lots but the viability of such a project needs to be considered first. A preliminary survey has been conducted for building one opposite Swabhumi. That space is already being used as a parking lot,” Debasish Kumar, mayoral council member in charge of parking, told The Telegraph.
“Since we can’t add to the road-side parking space, we are looking for areas below flyovers for parking vehicles,” he said.
With the vehicle count on the city’s roads growing exponentially, civic officials have decided to hunt for spaces under the AJC Bose Road, Park Street and Gariahat flyovers for parking.
Senior officers of the city police said they have proposed a parking lot beneath the Park Street flyover, opposite Kailash Building on Chowringhee Road, that can accommodate around 50-60 vehicles.
“We have proposed setting up of a traffic outpost beneath the flyover. Behind the outpost we have identified a space that can accommodate a few vehicles,” said a senior police officer.
“This can be a new parking lot beneath the Park Street flyover, apart from the one that exists around Kyd Street.”
Police officers have also suggested that similar space can be carved out beneath the Sealdah-bound ramp of the AJC Bose Road flyover and can be used to park around 40 cars. “The space will be of immense help during rush school hours,” an officer said.
The findings of the survey are expected to reach the civic authorities within a few weeks. After that KMC officials will meet city police officers and firm up a plan to set up parking lots.
