Parking eats up road space

Malakpet: Following disregard for their pleas seeking removal of vehicles parked by local mechanic and cab service provider, which is causing inconvenience on roadside, the residents of CIB Quarters in New Malakpet approached the local police station with a request to resolve the matter once and for all.

Upset over the situation, some of the residents in front of whose houses cars are being parked also alleged threat from anti-social elements due to late night working hours of two automobile workshops.

Starting with a few cars in the beginning, the problem has only increased manifold for the residents of CIB Quarters staying near the lane of Q-Mart supermarket, next to the railway station in New Malakpet. They are enduring the 'nuisance' caused by illegal parking of vehicles of mechanic shops and a cab service in this lane.

These mechanics and travel agency are parking their vehicles in front of houses and also near the boundary of nala which is causing the residents a lot of trouble and inconvenience. "Following their failure to respond to our requests, we decided to submit a representation to Malakpet traffic police pointing out violation of traffic norms and illegal parking in residential colony," said Mujeeb Akhtar, the general secretary of CIB Quarter Residents Welfare Association.

He said that ever since the workshops started in the lane, the problem has only kept increasing for the residents. There are more than 20 four-wheelers parked near the boundary wall of nala, which is shrinking the road space. Vehicles are also parked in front of the gates of houses, thus blocking the way. As a result, residents are unable to park their own vehicles.

Mujeeb also said that the next main issue which is troubling the residents is running of late-night workshops and roaming of anti-social elements in area. Besides, the area has turned into a place of noise and air pollution, impacting lives of children and elderly. "During late night, one can see that they are consuming liquor and throwing empty bottles on road. These anti-social elements are causing a big problem to us and entire colony," said the residents.

A few years back, residents had given a representation to the local MLA requesting him to fence the nala and plant trees along its boundary. The works were sanctioned and completed, at an estimated cost of around Rs 35 lakh and GHMC continued watering the plants near nala. But now, due to haphazard parking of vehicles, the GHMC workers are unable to reach out to the plants easily, which is contributing to their silent death," said Syed Waheed, a local leader and resident.