CPT to develop truck parking terminal at Vathuruthy

Kochi: The Cochin Port Trust (CPT) is developing a truck parking terminal at Vathuruthy area in Willingdon Island.

For this, the port has formed a company Willingdon Island Parking Yard (P) Ltd along with its users incluing the Cochin Custom House Agents Association, Cochin Steamer Agents Association, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry to form Willingdon Island Parking Yard (P) Ltd, a release said.

There has been a long standing demand for proper facilities for parking of trucks and amenities for cargo truck operators and workers.

In the first phase, the terminal will come up on 5.5 acre near the Vathuruthy railway crossing, where the construction work on the terminal is in full swing.

The terminal will have facilities for rest rooms, public amenities, canteens and other essential services. There will also be repair facilities for vehicles as well as weighbridges. Parking at this terminal will be on a chargeable basis.

Meanwhile, the port has also decided to collect parking fee from all commercial vehicles entering the port area beyond the toll gates. This has become necessary because of the prohibitive cost of maintaining the roads, which are being used as parking area by truckers. Since such parking damages the roads resulting in frequent repair works, it has been decided to recover such costs through enforcing a parking fee.

However, the parking fee will not be collected from trucks for the first six hours after entry at the toll gate. Additional stay within the port premises will be chargeable on an hourly basis. The new regulations will come into effect from November 25, the release added.