Lack of Parking Policy in Tambaram Chokes Key Roads and Commercial Hubs
Rapid expansion driven by real estate growth and IT development has strained the infrastructure in Tambaram and along the Velachery-Tambaram Road, where the absence of a comprehensive parking policy has left major roads choked with vehicles.
Commercial establishments and visitors across East Tambaram, Selaiyur, and West Tambaram have turned public streets and pedestrian pathways into informal parking zones. Vehicles lined up along commercial hubs continue to reduce the available carriageway for moving traffic and occupy footpaths meant for pedestrians.
The Tambaram City Municipal Corporation currently operates without a formal parking policy to manage and regulate parking spaces across its network of around 580 roads, which includes nearly 200 major stretches. Civic activists have highlighted that implementing a structured and regulated parking system would not only curb indiscriminate roadside parking and ease congestion but also generate steady revenue for the civic body.
Spot visits across commercial stretches in East Tambaram, Selaiyur, and West Tambaram revealed vehicles parked directly on footpaths. Along GST Road near the Tambaram bus terminus, an extended bus bay was found being operated as a paid parking facility by a private hospital.
Several major corridors passing through the region, including GST Road, Velachery-Tambaram Road, Medavakkam Tank Road, and Perumbakkam High Road, are maintained by the state highways department. However, officials stated that managing roadside parking and tackling encroachments within municipal limits falls under the purview of the local civic body.
Addressing the issue, Tambaram Corporation Commissioner S Balachander stated that the administration faces constraints in finding dedicated land for vehicle parking. He noted that while the civic body conducts regular encroachment removal drives along major roads, the corporation lacks adequate designated spaces to allocate specifically for vehicle parking.