Chennai, Feb 22 (IANS) The Chennai Port Trust has chalked out plans to expand its car parking yards to facilitate car manufacturers in shipping out their small cars to global markets from here.

'We have plans to demolish the old buildings in the port and develop those areas as the parking yard for car companies. We are also planning to build a new 'RO-RO' (roll- on-roll-off) berth for easy berthing of car carriers,' the trust chairman Subhash Kumar said Monday.

Speaking at a function held at the Chennai Port to flag off the one millionth export car of Hyundai Motor India Ltd, he said there were plans to build two multi layered car parking facility with a capacity to park 12,000 cars at the port.

'Car exporters can also use the vacant space available in the second container terminal that is currently being under utilised,' he added.

India's largest car exporter Hyundai Motor India ships out its cars made at its plant near here out of Chennai port.

Japanese car company Nissan, which is slated to inaugurate its plant located near here next month, has signed up with Ennore port for exporting around 180,000 cars.