13K cars enter PGI daily, parking space only for 3,700

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, August 10

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has reached out to the UT Administration in a bid to alleviate its ongoing parking woes. The institute, grappling with a shortage of parking space, has sought the allocation of space in Sector 11 to cater to the mounting parking demand.

Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, Deputy Director, PGIMER, said a communication had been sent to the Administration, urging it to identify a suitable parking zone in Sector 11 market.

Nearly 13,000 cars enter the institute premises between 7 am and 5 pm daily, with around 6,000 vehicles parked for over 24 hours. At present, the PGIMER campus can accommodate 3,753 cars. The scarcity forces drivers to occupy open spaces, roads, and even green areas, causing significant traffic congestion.

The institute has taken steps to tackle the deficit, including the establishment of temporary parking space for additional 1,500-2,000 cars in front of the nursing institute and an additional space near Oral Health Care Science Centre, which can accommodate 200 cars.

Despite these efforts, the parking infrastructure remains insufficient due to the rising footfall of patients. The lone multi-level parking near the New OPD Block consists of a basement and two levels. It is capable of accommodating only 532 cars.

With a daily footfall of 30,000-40,000 visitors, the PGIMER’s new multi-level parking project has been progressing slowly, impeding the institute’s overall operations. A recent development saw PGIMER awarding the construction contract for a new multi-level parking facility with a capacity to accommodate 680 cars.

Uphill task

• 13,000 cars enter PGI between 7 am and 5 pm daily
• 6,000 vehicles parked for over 24 hours
• 3,753 cars PGI can accommodate in its parking areas
• 1,500-2,000 cars parked at temporary space
• 532 cars, capacity of multi-level parking near New OPD Block
• 680 vehicles to be accommodated at upcoming facility
• 30,000-40,000 daily footfall at PGI