Open house: illegal parking services run freely in Amritsar. should these be regulated?

Current situation organised extortion

I strongly believe illegal parking must be regulated because what is happening today is nothing short of organised extortion. People with no authority stand on roadsides, and outside markets and hospitals, forcing commuters to shell out money. There are no valid receipts, no security and no accountability. Conversations with these parking ‘operators’ can often turn aggressive. If the government cannot provide proper parking infrastructure, it has no moral right to allow such illegal collections. Clear rules, authorised parking zones, and strict enforcement are urgently needed.

Rajesh Arora

Why pay in absence of proper space?

It is extremely frustrating to pay parking charges for just five or ten minutes, especially when there is no marked parking space or shelter. Why should citizens pay for a facility that is technically not provided? These self-appointed ‘attendants’ do not wear uniforms or carry identity cards. We don’t even know where the money goes. This practice discourages people from visiting markets and public places. Parking should be properly regulated, with receipts and digital payments, so that there is transparency and fairness.

Simrat Kaur

Official apathy cause for worry

A cause for worry is that the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye to illegal parking operators. There appears an organised nexus involving the civic body officials behind this. Everyone knows who these people are, and where they operate, yet no action is taken. This also creates unnecessary conflicts. If parking is to be charged, it should be done legally by the municipal corporation — with proper infrastructure, signage and rate boards. Otherwise, these unauthorised collections must be stopped immediately.

Harbhajan Singh

Senior citizens especially hassled

I am not against paying parking fees, but I am against paying these illegally. Regulation will protect both commuters and the city. At present, senior citizens are especially harassed, because we hesitate to argue. A regulated system with fixed rates, time-based charges and designated parking zones will reduce chaos. The administration must realise that unregulated parking not only inconveniences people, but also reflects poorly on urban governance.

Sunil Mehta

Public roads for all, not violators

Public roads and other spaces are meant for everyone, not for a few individuals who monetise these illegally. Illegal parking charges defeat the very purpose of public spaces. This unchecked practice thrives because of poor enforcement and alleged collusion. Citizens feel helpless as complaining often leads nowhere. Regulation is essential, and strict penalties should be imposed on violators. If the government wants to promote ease of movement and accessibility, it must reclaim public spaces from illegal operators and ensure parking is managed transparently.

Gurpreet Singh

Standardise charges, display these clearly

For people like me, who step out during office hours for quick errand-runs, short-term parking has become a punishment. Even stopping for a few minutes means shelling out money without any service in return. There are no lighting arrangements and no CCTV cameras at these parking spaces — no responsibility if the vehicle is damaged. Regulation is the only solution. Parking charges should be standardised, time-bound and displayed clearly. Until then, illegal parking collections should be treated as an offence, not as a minor inconvenience.

Neha Sharma

Inadequate infra leads to delays

Amritsar has inadequate parking at most of its commercial and tourist areas. Commuters spend a lot of time searching for parking, often circling streets. This leads to late arrivals at work or appointments, and often causes avoidable stress. Additionally, the paid parking doesn’t ensure safety of vehicles. The MC must ensure that public parking spaces are created in commercial complexes. Underground parking spaces here are under-utilised and must be promoted among commuters.

Sumedha Khanna

Mafia operating with impunity

The parking mafia operates unchecked in the city. When mafias operate openly, commuters perceive police or municipal collusion. There are no receipts or fixed parking rates. The MC must install automated parking machines in areas where there is heavy commercial rush, or office spaces. Also, it must create adequate parking spaces as the vehicular population in city seems to be rising like never before.

Sachin Sharma

Invest in requisite infrastructure

Illegal parking hassles need to be regulated on a priority basis. As in our city, people earning their livelihoods through jobs, either private or government, are not rich enough and want to save time and maximum money. So, giving of money for preventing illegal parking hassles pinches them. Recently, I visited a hospital on Mall Road, where there was no parking space for visiting patients. I parked my scooter in a nearby mall. Many religious places and banks too face similar problems. The need of the hour is for all organisations to invest in solid infrastructure so as to be able to provide ‘free parking’ for visitors.

Sanjay Chawla

Illegal operations near court complex

Amritsar is said to be a city of praise, but in reality there is not a single such virtue that can truly be claimed. This city has now become a city of problems for its citizens. Whether it is broken roads, blocked sewerage during the rainy season, heaps of garbage scattered everywhere, traffic jams or the major issue of parking—problems are everywhere. Across the city, unauthorised parking stands are operating at various places and private contractors are openly looting the general public on a daily basis. With the collusion of the district administration, four to five parking stands are being run illegally right on the roads around the court complex. Thousands of people from different sections of society visit the District Administrative Complex and the courts every day to get their essential work done, but they do not find any proper place to park their vehicles and are forcibly charged parking fee by private contractors. Due to the parking issue, several disputes occur daily. For example, at the old DC office, the Comrade Sohan Singh Josh Library is being run, but readers and students visiting there are not allowed to take their vehicles inside and are forced to pay parking fee every day. Similarly, parking fee is charged outside government and private hospitals. At Amritsar railway station, the parking area has had no shed for many years, there is no proper care or security for vehicles, nor is there adequate space available, yet the parking fee is increased every year. All footpaths and spaces under flyovers have been illegally occupied by shopkeepers and hospital authorities. Likewise, the condition of parking in Hall Bazaar, Shastri Market and religious places is extremely poor, but the traffic police are always ready only to issue challans (fines) and pay no attention to providing free and convenient parking facilities for the public. The district administration should resolve the traffic and parking problems on a priority basis, and the exploitation of people by private contractors must be stopped.

Sumeet Singh

What’s the Issue

Amritsar is no stranger to illegal parking ‘operators’, much to commuters’ dismay. Many drivers have to shell out fees to park their vehicles in various parts of the city, only for a brief period of time. What is alarming is that these fees are being charged for a service that presently lacks proper infrastructure.

QUESTION for next week

After several schools in the city received bomb threats on e-mail, panic gripped parents and children alike. Acting swiftly, the civic administration and the police shut these institutions down. Do you think the government response to the threats was adequate?

Suggestions in not more than 150 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (December 18)