Levy of fee back at 27 paid parking lots in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, February 21
Charging of fee resumed at as many as 27 paid parking lots in the city with the local Municipal Corporation deputing staff with fee collection machines there today.
For the past three weeks, visitors had been using the 89 paid parking lots for free after the contracts of two agencies ended. With the MC beginning to depute staff, all parking facilities will be converted into paid ones in a phased-manner.
MC deputes staff
173 machines worth Rs 45L given by bank free of cost
400 employees deployed by MC and trained by bank
“Today, 27 parking lots in Sectors 17, 22, 34 and 20, and at Elante Mall were made operational. The remaining will be operationalised over the next two to three days,” said MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra.
The MC had hired staff and procured point of sales (POS) machines from a bank to start the system. Attendants were seen managing lots in the Sector 17, Elante Mall and Madhya Marg parking areas. However, it was yet to depute staff at the Sector 22 Kiran parking lots.
Mitra said the corporation had floated an expression of interest for banks to provide POS machines free of cost. ICICI Bank supplied 173 machines worth Rs 45 lakh free of cost. As many as 400 employees were deployed by the MC and trained by the bank. Also, the bank will generate a QR code to facilitate digital payment.
The civic body had taken over the paid parking lots from the two agencies on January 30. Ever since, the parking spaces had been free to use as the corporation had been busy managing manpower and resources.
Two-wheeler riders will have to pay Rs 7 and car drivers Rs 14. The MC will operate the parking spaces for nearly three months till a new parking agency is finalised to take over.
