Surface ads missing, MC plans go awry at multi-level parking

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

More than nine months have passed since the city’s first multi-level parking in Sector 17 was inaugurated, but so far, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has failed to get approval of advertisement rights on the surface parking, making the project financially not viable. Resultantly, the MC today once again floated a short-term tender of two months for the operation and management of the multi-level parking lot.

The MC is already running into losses of around Rs 4-5 lakh every month by running the facility. It was eyeing to generate revenue by displaying advertisements on the surface area of the parking.

According to information, the MC generates around Rs 90,000 per month by running the facility, but is paying Rs 5.5 lakh per month to the contractor, who is running the lot at present.

To get the advertisement rights, former Mayor Arun Sood had even engaged a private company, which had used a drone to capture 3D images and make a video of the multi-level parking in Sector 17.

The idea behind making the video was to convince the officials of the UT Administration to allow advertisement rights for the surface parking so that the multi-level parking project could be made financially viable. But so far, nothing has been finalised.

A senior UT official said the permission of advertisement on the surface parking area could not be given keeping in mind the heritage character of the city.