Chennai set to get parking meters

The haggling with parking attendants finally comes to an end! Chennai Corporation is planning to install parking meters on major roads, starting August 15. In the initial phase, 17 meters for four-wheelers will be installed in 10 areas, including Pondy Bazaar in T Nagar, North Mada Street in Mylapore and CSIR Road in Taramani. This will be followed by 61 more meters in 12 other locations. Parking vehicles in areas with meters will cost Rs 5 an hour, Rs 10 for two hours and Rs 15 for three hours. The driver will have to insert a Rs 5 coin into the meter, get the ticket and display it on the dashboard. The entry and exit time printed on the ticket will be examined by parking attendants deployed by the contractor. If parking exceeds three hours, the driver will have to obtain a new ticket or pay double the amount as penalty. The Corporation hopes that installation of the meters will put an end to complaints of parking attendants overcharging motorists and also commercial establishments usurping public parking space. Bangalore-based Millenium Synergy Pvt Ltd will install the meters. “We have placed orders for the meters and the consignment is being transported from Germany. The solar powered meters will be installed in the next few days,” said Chennai Corporation commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni. Parking meters will be installed on Third Avenue, Anna Nagar (near Kandaswamy college); Shanthi Colony (near Sundaram Medical Foundation); Second Avenue Anna Nagar; Purasawalkam High Road (near Tank); Third Avenue Anna Nagar (near S S Super Market); General Patters Road; Mylapore (North Mada Street); Pondy Bazaar, T Nagar; CSIR Road (near Ascendas) and Gandhi Nagar (near Sardar Patel Road).