Automate paid parking lots by Dec 31, UT tells MC

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 13

The UT Administration has issued directions to the Municipal Corporation (MC) to convert all paid parking lots in the city into automated parking lots by December 31.

UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev has also sought a report from MC Commissioner Bhawna Garg on the paid parking system in the city.

With automated parking lots, there will be no complaints of overcharging and there will be a proper check on the parking lot contractors. Visitors will have to pay on an hourly basis, a senior UT official said.

The Administration is all set to start the hourly parking system in the city by January next year. Though the MC committee had rejected a hike in the paid parking charges, UT officials are all set to hike the charges.

Confirming the development, the UT Adviser said they would convert all paid parking lots into automated parking lots. A report had been sought from the MC Commissioner, he said.

Recently, a five-member committee of the MC, which was formed to finalise the terms and conditions of the paid parking lots in the city, had rejected a proposal of the civic body to hike the paid parking charges in the city.

The MC committee had also proposed to end the paid parking system in the city. The committee had also proposed to privatise the paid parking system on the pattern of maintenance of roundabouts in the city.

What the MC had proposed

Start hourly parking system in all 25 parking lots in the city.

For four-wheelers, parking charges will be Rs 10 for the first four hours and subsequently, Rs 5 each for every two hours. An amount of Rs 30 will be charged for parking a four-wheeler for up to 12 hours and for above 12 hours, Rs 40 will be charged. For two-wheelers, Rs 5 will be charged for the first four hours. For up to 12 hours, the MC will charge Rs 17 while Rs 20 will be charged if the facility is availed of for above 12 hours.

Besides, the MC has also proposed to start e-ticketing at all paid parking lots in Chandigarh. Further, it was proposed to introduce smart cards, which will be recharged by e-Sampark centres, for paid parking.