After a prolonged hiatus of nearly three years, the Coimbatore City Corporation is gearing up to fully commission the operations of its state-of-the-art hydraulic multilevel car parking facility located in the bustling RS Puram area. This significant development follows an encouraging public response during a month-long partial operational trial, where the facility successfully accommodated over 150 vehicles at a time.
Revival After Years of Disuse
According to official sources, the civic body has been cautiously operating two floors of the ground plus four-storeyed structure for the past month to gauge public interest and system reliability. The facility had remained largely non-functional since early 2023 when critical hydraulic lifts ceased working, rendering the parking complex abandoned despite its substantial capacity.
Technical Challenges and Resolution
A senior corporation official explained the core issue: "The primary problem was the malfunctioning hydraulic lifts. The subcontractor responsible for installing the machinery failed to ensure quality, which led to prolonged operational failures. However, we have now rectified these technical shortcomings through comprehensive repairs and system upgrades."
The remaining two floors of the facility are expected to become operational within the next fifteen days, marking a complete revival of the parking infrastructure that was originally commissioned in 2022. Constructed at an investment of ₹40.78 crore under the Smart City Mission across 2.87 acres, the facility represents a significant urban infrastructure investment.
Advanced Features and Capacity
Equipped with five hydraulic lifts, a sophisticated supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, and an integrated parking management system, the facility boasts the capability to accommodate 380 vehicles simultaneously when operating at full capacity. This makes it one of the most substantial public parking solutions in the region.
Public Response and Usage Patterns
During the trial period, officials observed promising usage patterns. "Two floors have been functioning smoothly for the past month," noted the senior official. "Interestingly, we've noticed that many customers are utilizing the facility for extended parking needs, with vehicles remaining parked for months at a time, indicating trust in the security and reliability of the system."
Future Plans and Traffic Management
Corporation Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran confirmed that the remaining sections would soon be made operational. He also outlined complementary measures to enhance facility utilization: "We have formally requested the city police department to strictly monitor and penalize illegal parking in the surrounding RS Puram area. This enforcement action is expected to encourage more daily users to opt for the organized parking facility, thereby reducing congestion and improving traffic flow."
The revival process included extensive trial runs and system checks before the corporation initiated partial operations at the end of December 2025. This phased approach allowed authorities to address any residual technical issues while gradually reintroducing the facility to the public.
The full commissioning of the RS Puram hydraulic car parking facility marks a significant milestone in Coimbatore's urban infrastructure development, particularly under the Smart City Mission framework. It addresses long-standing parking challenges in one of the city's busiest commercial and residential areas while demonstrating the corporation's commitment to reviving underutilized public assets through systematic problem-solving and community-responsive management.
