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Student bikers in Bangalore leave no room for others to park

Neighbours of the Sheshadripuram Composite PU College have a parking problem on their hands for a long time.

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Neighbours of the Sheshadripuram Composite PU College have a parking problem on their hands for a long time. The lanes surrounding the Girls School Street, where the college is located, are occupied by bikes of students from early morning to late afternoon, they complain.

“Working here has become difficult. The street is just taken over by the students when they pour in around 7 am, 9 am and then around 12.30 pm,” says Rangesh CP, who runs an Internet cafe in the Kumara Park West area. “Our customers don’t find any parking space,” says Nagaraj P, who runs a salon for men in this once quiet residential neighbourhood.

It was the availability of ample parking space that encouraged them to set up shop here, but it proved a mirage, rues Ravi Kumar, proprietor of a design and printing business.

“Our office needs room for six bikes, even that we are deprived of,” says Krishna J, an employee working in the area. As the bikes flow into the streets, other problems accompany them. “We don’t have any peace here. The students sit near the shop, chat loudly, smoke and spit. Most of our time is wasted in shooing them away,” says he.

“We’ve complained to police many times. The traffic police would patrol the area and tow away bikes once in a while. But the boys soon return,” says Poorna S, an HR professional. “When we tell them not to park near our houses, they plead with us saying they will return in 10 minutes,” says she.

Students say they are not to blame. “There is no space inside for students’ vehicles. Only staff members are allowed to park on the campus,” says Santhosh S, a former student. The college principal Prof MR Santhanam agrees. “Normally, the cellar or basement is reserved for parking space. But we decided to put classrooms and auditorium there to cater to more students,” he says.

About 2,000 students attend the college housed on three floors and 700 students attend classes at Sheshadripuram Institute of Commerce and Management located on the fourth floor. There are about 200 staff employed here. Though their vehicles are allowed inside the compound, some have to leave their cars on the street due to lack of space.

Prof Santhanam does not think the problem is as big as the people around are making it out to be. “The college functions between 7.30 am and 1.30 pm. Residents are inconvenienced only during these hours,”he says.

“But the college needs to enforce some rules,” says Poorna.   

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