Two multi-level car parking lots (MLCPs) at Putharikkandam maidan and at Medical College, which were formally inaugurated before the local body elections, have become fully operational this week. Each of the parking lots can accommodate 200 cars, according to officials of the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited. 

“Although these were inaugurated earlier, they have begun operating in full swing only now. Earlier also cars could be parked at some of the area, but now we have appointed an operator to run it properly. People are only beginning to use it. We would be putting up display boards near the Central Railway Station for the MLCP at Putharikkandam as it would be useful for those who are travelling away from the city for a longer period,” said a Smart City official. 

Charges

Similar charges have been fixed for both the MLCPs with ₹30 to be paid for one hour parking and ₹150 for 24 hours. The opening of the MLCPs would come as a relief for those frequenting East Fort and Thampanoor as well as the Medical College junction area, where parking spots are hard to find on most days. 

The MLCP at Putharikkandam maidan was constructed at a cost of around ₹16 crore while the one near Medical College junction was completed at ₹20 crore. At Putharikkandam, some existing foundation piles saved on the initial cost for the Corporation. The Putharikkandam MLCP has a raised foundation due to water-logging issues in the area. 

Initially, the MLCPs were planned under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 1.0 scheme. With the execution period of projects under AMRUT 1.0 coming to an end in 2023, the two MLCP projects were transferred to the Smart City scheme as these projects could not be accommodated under AMRUT 2.0.

The AMRUT 1.0 scheme had a component for ‘improvement in urban transport facilities’, under which the MLCPs were planned. However, the AMRUT 2.0, which focusses more on drinking water related issues, does not have such a component