Make sure contractors comply with all terms of contract

Open house: What steps should MC take to ensure smart parking facilities for residents in UT?

Development only on paper

Smart facilities are for the comfort of the people. The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) and its contractors have no vision to give better facilities to residents. The MC should first ensure cleanliness, polite behavior of its staff and separate parking for senior citizens. Chandigarh has its own identity. From the past few years, the City Beautiful has seen development only on papers to get points from the Central government.

Vineet Gandhi, Chandigarh

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Remove unauthorised vendors

Paid parking at many markets can ensure optimal use of space. Two and four-wheeler parking has to be separated and strictly imposed. The MC should remove unathorised vendors occupying parking space. Only one way entry and exit should be allowed in all parking lots. There will be adequate parking space if the MC takes such steps. Owners' parking their vehicles outside marked spaces should be challaned. Also, the MC can reduce paid parking lots in the city. The civic body can start a dedicated helpline to address parking-related grievances of residents in the city.

Col PS Gill (retd), Chandigarh

QUESTION

Launched after much delay, the public bike sharing project in Chandigarh has been taken for a ride by troublemakers, who have vandalised bicycles. What needs to be done to check such incidents and make the project successful in the UT?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected]

MC should conduct regular inspection

Chandigarh Municipal Corporation does nothing practical. There is a wide gap between precept and practice. All terms and conditions should be clear to contractor concerned before giving him contract for managing parking lots. Strict action should be taken if the contractor does not fulfil conditions. The civic body should inspect parking lots at regular intervals to ensure smart facilities for residents.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

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Only tall claims, nothing on ground

Despite loud claims about introduction of smart facilities at select places in the UT, there has been no significant change in parking lots. Vehicles are parked haphazardly at non-designated places with no attendants to guide or help hassled public in most parking spaces. Parking lots are not maintained properly as heaps of garbage are lying here and there. No e-slips are issued at some parking lots to vehicle owners. The authorities need to regulate and ensure that all norms relating to smart parking like provision of attendants to guide vehicle owners, ensure proper parking and cleanliness are complied with. The MC should initiate action against contractors violating norms and guidelines agreed upon at the time of the allocation of the contract.

Dr Dinesh Kumar Verma, Panchkula

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Use small cars in crowded places

Despite many hassles, vehicle owners are paying increased parking charges for the so-called smart facilities, which are just not there. Shortage of space for parking vehicles has added to commuters' woes. Owners are often asked to leave their vehicles in neutral mode to ensure manoeuvrability. The MC must focus on creating more space by constructing multi-level parking in a phased manner in order to accommodate more vehicles. Till then, owners can do well in their own interest by using smaller cars when headed for crowded places in the City Beautiful.

SC LUTHRA, Chandigarh

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Civic body should manage parking

It would be certainly better if the MC allots parking lots to contractors, who have good credentials. Otherwise, the MC can manage parking lots by itself and ensure continuous smart amenities for the public. Quite often it is observed that contractors leave before the term of their contract ends. So, the civic body can handle parking lots and provide smart facilities to commuters.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

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Take contract amount in advance

Civil body's efforts for smart parking lots have failed because of vested interests. Most elected representatives are shopkeepers or businessmen, who don't want to paid parking in city markets. The MC should allot only one parking lot to a contractor in a sector. Contract amount can be taken in advance or through bank guarantees. In case of any default, parking lot should be allotted to other contractor. Parking lots management should never be given to shopkeepers. Maximum vehicles in parking lots belong to shopkeepers. They don't want to pay for 24 hours parking.

Ashok Kumar Goel, Panchkula

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Can’t run away from responsibilities

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation must take a stern action against all defaulting contractors and immediately blacklist those, who do not comply with orders. The Covid-19 pandemic has come as a blessing in disguise for all such people, who will make lame excuses to save their skin. The MC must not listen to such contractors and make them provide smart features to the public in parking lots. They all are bound by contracts. Therefore, they can't run away from their responsibilities.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Sangrur

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No supervision of any project

The fact is that the MC has failed in all projects. Its aim is to collect money from city residents. There is no supervision in any project. The contractors don't sufficient staff to manage parking lots. There are only two persons, one for collecting money at the entry and other to collect slips from vehicle owners at parking lot exit. Nobody is there to check how people park their vehicles. We all are irresponsible persons. So, people park their vehicles according to their own convenience. Parking lots are not clean as garbage is strewn here and there.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

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An app can save time

While giving contract to an agency/individual smart features at parking lots are not taken into consideration by the civic body. A vehicle owner should be able to know through an app whether free parking is available or not at a particular place/market. There should be a provision for paying online parking fee like fast tag to avoid chaos and save time. The app should assign available parking lot number and direct vehicle owners towards it.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

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Earn revenue through other means

Businessmen in the UT have suffered economically and mentally due to increase in online shopping trend and Covid-19 pandemic. Frequent lockdown and curfew have added to their woes. The Municipal Corporation should provide free parking to boost trade in the UT. Also, the MC should make efforts to earn revenue through other means like digital advertisement.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

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Single Company can manage parking

Smart parking system can be managed by a single company in Chandigarh. There should be provision for online parking fee payment to curtail rush at the entry. No slips should be issued to vehicle owners at parking lots. Automatic boom barriers can be installed at parking lots to ease the flow of traffic. Besides, parking charges should not be hiked.

Anita Tandon, Kharar

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Stop issuing parking slips

The Municipal Corporation can take help of architects to design the smart parking in the city. Contractors have just installed smart boards at parking entrance. Rest, everybody knows how four or two-wheelers are parked inside. The corporation should stop the practice of issuing slips as not all paid parking staff is equipped with e-ticketing machines. Officials from the corporation should inspect parking lots at regular intervals to ensure that vehicle owner get smart facilities.

Savita Kuthiala, Chandigarh

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Rs5 for two-wheelers, Rs10 for cars

Parking charges for two and four-wheelers should not be more than Rs5 and Rs10, respectively. City residents often feel that they avail parking facilities at higher rates. Besides, parking charges should always be in the denomination of Rs5. It'll save time of vehicle owners and prevent chaos at the entrance of parking lots.

Kuldeep Singh, Chandigarh

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Deploy only trained staff at parking lots

Smart facilities are not provided at parking lots due to lack of supervision and regular checks by the Municipal Corporation. Parking facilities must be streamlined in the UT. The civic body must ensure that contractor provides all facilities to the public as mentioned in the contract. Owners' park vehicles at their own will as the contractor's staff does not assist them. Only trained and fully equipped staff should be deployed at parking lots.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Minhas (retd), Mohali

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Periodical inspection by civic body a must

Before opening parking lots for the public, the Municipal Corporation must ensure that all smart features are provided by contractors. The MC must conduct periodical inspection of parking lots in the UT. Contractors should be penalised if they breach contract.

AK Jindal, Patiala

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Easy to draw plan, tough to implement it

It is easy for officials to draw up a plan in the cool comforts of their rooms, pass on the job to a contractor by allocating contract, claim they are earning hefty revenues, but forget implementation of contractual terms by both parties. It's not the first parking contract, wherein conditions have breached. In the past, all such parking contracts were breached with immunity. Most contractors left the job midway. All officials did nothing except hiking parking fee. The new Chandigarh Adviser has warned the MC about the loot. The MC can at least ensure that until all smart parking facilities are available as per the contract, old rates are charged from vehicle owners.

Suresh Verma, Chandigarh

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Don’t depend on contractors

As the City Beautiful has highest density of vehicles per household, it becomes essential for the Municipal Corporation to facilitate residents with smooth and effective transportation system. The MC should not totally depend upon contractors. The civic body should give contract only to manage parking spaces and keep a constant watch on their maintenance and smart facilities available at the spot. Appropriate action should be taken in case contractors fail to comply with directions.

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

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Emphasis on capability, not commission

Despite hiking parking charges no smart facilities are provided to vehicle owners not even mandatory security in the UT. Most staff of the contractor concerned is rude and careless. The public has to endure their 'dadagiri' as there are no longer any free parking lots. While awarding contracts, all that matters to the authority concerned is connections or commission and not contractor's capability to handle the job. The Municipal Corporation must keep strict vigil not only while giving contracts, but afterwards too so that the public is not fleeced and contractors provide smart facilities.

Bubby Soin, Chandigarh

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Attendant at every 50 metres

One has to make frequent rounds of a 'smart' parking lot in Chandigarh to find a space for parking. For, you enter the parking lot only to pay, but not to be facilitated to find a parking space. No one comes to help despite the fact that a parking attendant has to be there at every 50 metres to guide and help you park your car. Haphazard parking is another problem. In a smart facility, people should book their parking space using the app and pay for it online. Ever since people have been asked to pay Rs12 and Rs6 for four and two-wheeler, respectively, there have been hassles. People have to search for Rs2 and Rs1 change. This creates traffic snarls at the entry point.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

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Attendants must wear uniform

This issue is a long-pending issue. Not even one of the 89 paid parking in the city has smart facilities. Haphazard parking is another issue. Contractor concerned should ensure two and four wheelers are parked at designated spots in parking lots. Attendants should wear uniform and help owners park their vehicles in lots.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

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Tighten noose on contractors

The piecemeal measures adopted by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) have ended up in a fiasco as smart features were not provided at parking lots by contractors. The MC needs to tighten the noose around defaulting contractors in order to provide smart facilities to people at parking lots. There should be zero tolerance towards contractors defaulting wilfully on providing facilities. Strictest punishment should be awarded to erring contractors, who throw norms to the wind.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

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Award contract at low rates

The Municipal Corporation should give contract of parking lots at low rate. It will enable contractors recover investment. Subsidised passes can be provided for multiple parking to residents. Contractor should hire trained staff for better management of parking lots.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

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Traffic flow can be streamlined

The authorities should provide smart facilities at all parking lots of the UT. This will make Chandigarh a smart city and end long queues of vehicles whose owners wait to buy parking ticket at the entry of parking lots. It will streamline the flow of traffic. Besides, the problem of overcharging by contractors will be taken care of.

Simran Sidhu, Chandigarh

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Prepare a roadmap for smart facilities

The Municipal Corporation should first prepare a roadmap for providing smart parking facilities in the UT. Afterwards, paid parking lots can be converted into smart parking facilities with the help of expert contractors. Smart parking includes use of sensors, street lights, navigation systems and online payment platforms to relay information to drivers and attendants.

Adish Sood, Amloh

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sector-wise parking charge for mc officials

Contractors should be given a time-bound target to provide smart features in parking lots. If any contractor fails to achieve target he should be fined and his contract cancelled. The terms of the contract should be easy and workable. Parking lot infrastructure should be provided by the MC and its maintenance undertaken by contractor. Civic body officials should be given charge of specific parking lots in the city.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, CHANDIGARH

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Challan for wrong parking

Parking space is woefully short as per the present requirements of the city. The problem gets aggravated as people park vehicles haphazardly, which creates problems for commuters and leads to traffic congestion. Combined efforts by the authorities and the public can minimise parking problems. Residents can click pictures of vehicles parked at non-designated spots and send these to authorities concerned, which can issue challans to owners. Smart parking is feasible if people don't mind shelling out more. But, parking charges should not be exorbitant.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

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pro-people solution need of the hour

The MC has already abdicated its responsibility. Every work is assigned to contractors and akin to this are parking lots. The MC needs to come up with some long term solution having pro-people vision to provide smart facilities. Now, for burdening residents, the parking rate has been enhanced from Rs5 to Rs6 for two-wheelers and from Rs10 to Rs12 for four-wheelers. The parking lots should be maintained by the MC itself. This would certainly enhance the income of the cash-starved MC and create more employment avenues. Besides, this will reduce traffic congestion.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

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Situation grim on weekend

Lack of parking space in the city creates unnecessary mental agony for residents. The situation is much grimmer on the weekends when families are out for shopping and dining. There are hardly any extra parking slots in sector markets. Sometimes parking attendants are at the receiving end when people hurl abuses at them. So, the city needs smart parking lots. Lot of fuel and time is wasted while searching for parking. The UT Administration should go ahead with smart parking apps that send data about free and occupied parking places on the web/mobile. The main idea is to use Internet, artificial intelligence (AI) and ultrasonic sensors to display available parking places in the city on the web/mobile app for residents.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh