Illegal parking rampant at many such locations, considerably slowing down city traffic

Two-wheelers parked in multiple rows along the narrow Broadway

The Vyttila Mobility Hub Society (VMHS) has lodged a complaint with the City Traffic Police over the illegal parking of vehicles on the key service road leading to the hub, after the ‘No Parking’ boards erected there have failed to rein in the act by motorists.

lllegal parking is rampant at many locations in Kochi, considerably slowing down city traffic. This is even as the traffic movement in the city is already hit by narrow roads and high volume of vehicle registration – the Ernakulam RTO recorded 24,640 vehicles in FY 2024-25.

The Traffic East Police station alone registered a total of 24,151 cases for ‘Obstructive Parking’ in 2024, while those recorded at the Traffic West station is more than double the number. The fines for illegal parking are 500 for the first offence and 1,500 for subsequent offences.

Dr D Dhanuraj, Chairman of Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), gave his insights to Krishna Kumar K E of The New Indian Express (TNIE) on the subject, pointing out that a permanent solution is the popularisation of public transport modes.

“A main issue is the increasing use of private vehicles. People should shift to public transport. It is the only permanent solution. Then parking lots should be marked wherever spaces are available. Strict enforcement is also the need of the hour. Currently many people would park their vehicles on road sides even if dedicated parking lots are available nearby,”

he is quoted as saying.

Read the TNIE article here.

Views expressed by the author are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.