Left Front councillors flagged traffic congestion and lack of parking spaces in the city at the monthly board meeting of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Tuesday.
Nurul Islam of the CPM said unauthorised parking on all prominent thoroughfares, coupled with encroachment on footpaths, added to the traffic congestion in the city.
“According to a survey undertaken by the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA), the annual vehicular growth rate in Siliguri is around 280 per cent. Illegal parking at all major junctions and on streets creates frequent traffic congestion. Also, the footpaths are being encroached on, which adds to the complications,” said Islam.
“The civic body has to take appropriate steps to facilitate hassle-free movement of vehicles and people. These practices have to be stopped,” he added.
Rajan Sarkar, the deputy mayor, spoke after Islam.
“The Left had been in power at the SMC for years and took no initiative to address these issues,” said Sarkar.
“Let me assert that our board is working to identify new parking arenas and improve road infrastructure. We are also clearing the pavements illegally occupied for years,” he said.
Mayor Gautam Deb elaborated on the SMC’s plans after the board meeting.
He told journalists that the SMC would soon develop a multi-level parking area in the city.
A plot of an old hospital on Sevoke Road in the city has been identified for the project, said a source.
“We have kicked off the necessary process. A second site for parking has been identified in the government housing complex on the Station Feeder Road,” Deb said.
“Also, the SJDA will improve the infrastructure of Paribahan Nagar, which is in Matigara, and will spend ₹2 crore. Long-distance private buses, which connect Calcutta, Assam and Bihar, will be shifted to the Matigara from the Tenzing Norgay Centre Bus Terminus,” he added.
The mayor said the state transport department would develop a multipurpose parking place near Mallaguri, which is in the northern parts of Siliguri.
“The department has engaged an agency to prepare a detailed project report,” said Deb.