JOIN USParking space crunch likely on New Year eve
New Year revellers are likely to have a difficult time finding parking space around MG Road, as the Cubbon Park area, the alternative parking place, will be out of bounds this year on Tuesday.
For, the Horticulture department has decided not to take any risk by violating its own rules by throwing open the gates of the park beyond its scheduled hours just to accommodate vehicles.
As is the practice, the police will ban parking on the New Year’s eve on and around MG Road. Vehicles will not be allowed to be parked on MG Road starting from the Mahatma Gandhi statue up to the Trinity Circle, Kamaraj Road, Church Street and Lavelle Road.
However, with the gates of Cubbon Park being closed after 9 pm since October, (said to be an outcome of the High Court orders in the early 2000s as well as a recent order of the Upa Lokayukta (as per information gathered by Umesh, president, Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association), the Horticulture department has said it does not want to bend its own rules now for just one day.
“Maybe even for a day, we on our own will not bend the rules as of now. We will go ahead with our routine,” said Mahantesh Murugod, Deputy Director, Department of Horticulture, Cubbon Park.
The seven gates around Cubbon Park – two from the Aquarium-end (one connecting the Press Club and another the Central Library), another near BSNL office and one at the High Court (back gate) and others at Gopalagowda Junction, KR Circle, at Siddalingaiah Circle (UB City), and at Hudson Circle – are being closed for various reasons, including preventing illegal activities and vehicular pollution.
It is estimated that about one lakh vehicles pass through these gates from one end to another.
Accordingly, hundreds of cars and a couple of thousand two-wheelers are being parked along the stretch – from BSNL office junction and the Central Library (both connecting the Aquarium junction, all along the Hudson Circle Junction to the Century Club Junction and other places within Cubbon Park).
This place had been converted into parking place during the busy days on MG Road or during events like a cricket match at Chinnaswamy Stadium. Murugod said the department will discuss the issue with the City police.