Visitors vexed over steep high in parking fee at Amritsar railway station

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 14

Visitors to the city railway station are vexed as the parking fee has been increased. The parking lot was opened after the completion of the renovation work.

They are annoyed with the authorities for giving the nod for hiking parking fee after partial renovation. They rue that the railway link road is marred by rampant encroachments and lack of hygiene. People cannot walk on the footpath, which invariably stinks with people throwing garbage and urinating here. Besides, taxis, private buses, food carts and other vehicles can be seen parked haphazardly here.

HS Nagpal, a resident of Majitha Road, said the parking fee of a four-wheeler, which used be Rs 30 earlier, was now raised to Rs 50. Similarly, Rs 25 is being charged for parking a two-wheeler, which used to be Rs 10. He said the duration printed on the receipt was for a minute to four hours. He said usually people visited the railway station for a brief period to drop off or pick up their relatives. He said there was neither a toilet facility nor potable water available at the renovated parking lot.

Pawandeep Sharma, a resident of Ranjit Avenue, small heaps of garbage could be seen at the parking lot. Even people could be seen urinating in its corners.

He said the parking fee of a vehicle for half an hour at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport cost Rs 20, but it was Rs 50 at the railway station. He added that a large number of visitors at the railway station came from middle and lower-income groups.

The complaint was brought to the notice of the office of Rajesh Aggarwal, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Ferozepur Division. Since the DRM was out of town, his office staff said it would be brought to his notice. They added that the rates of parking were fixed by a committee whose members were drawn from various departments of the railways.