Parking woes near Golden Temple irks devotees

The shortage of designated parking facilities near Darbar Sahib is causing inconvenience to devotees visiting the holy shrine. With no proper space available in the vicinity, pilgrims are forced to park their vehicles on the slope of the Saragarhi overbridge,

causing traffic disruptions.

The overbridge, which connects to Saragarhi parking, turns into an unregulated parking zone. Vehicles lined up on both sides of the slope not only obstruct the smooth flow of traffic but also pose a safety hazard for commuters. Locals and those who commute regularly complain that the situation worsens during the weekends and on religious occasions when footfall at the Darbar Sahib rises sharply.

Residents say that the issue has persisted for a few months due to the absence of systematic parking arrangements around the shrine. While a multilevel parking project was earlier proposed to address the problem, it has yet to become functional. In the meantime, the narrow lanes leading towards the Golden Temple and the overbridge remain choked with haphazardly parked cars, causing jams and delays.

Traffic police personnel admit that the situation is difficult to manage with the current infrastructure. “We repeatedly urge visitors to go to Saragarhi parking, but this space gets filled quickly, especially during rush hours. Devotees then leave their vehicles on the overbridge, creating blockades,” said a traffic police personnel.

Devotees argue they have no choice. “We come from far and want to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib, but there is no convenient place to park,” said Gurpreet Singh, a visitor from Ludhiana.

The problem of parking near the Golden Temple has been a long-pending civic concern. Civic rights activists have demanded urgent intervention, suggesting that additional parking spaces be created in areas on the periphery with shuttle services for devotees.