Trader associations can run parking lots for free in Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 12

The inner market parking lots in the city, which are unmanned at present, will now be run by interested market welfare associations free of cost.

This was approved by the MC General House at a meeting today. The House decided that visitors, as is the practice at present, will not have to pay any charges in these parking spaces. Trader associations may run the parking lots without any charges to be paid to or taken from the MC.

Nominated councillor and Chandigarh Beopar Mandal president Charanjiv Singh raised the issue. He said nominal charges for visitors should be there at the markets. However, Mayor Ravi Kant Sharma did not favour it saying different charges in paid parking lots and inner market lots may create confusion, and if traders charged them, the corporation would also have to take fee from these associations.

After the House meeting, MC Additional Commissioner SK Jain told Chandigarh Tribune, “We have around 20-25 trader bodies which have already shown interest in running the parking spaces without any charges. We will share the House-approved MoU with all bodies and whosever wants to take it, may do so.”

There are around 80 such trader associations and it is yet to be seen how many of these come forward after the final nod.

At present, when people are charged Rs12 and Rs6 for the first four hours for parking four-wheelers and two-wheelers, respectively, by the MC-hired agencies at 89 paid parking lots, there are two market bodies that have set the right example.

The Sector 22 and 19 trader bodies are successfully running the lots without any charges. Interestingly, the MC has never received any complaint from visitors these lots, while there plenty of complaints have been received from the paid parking lots.

Other agenda approved

• Exemption to street vendors for May licence fee owing to Covid restrictions
• Rs77.81-lakh fee waiver to firms managing unipoles for 90 days and advertisement on 55 public toilets for 45 days
• MC to provide Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana to 7,266 staffers of Group D. It will bear the annual cost of Rs87,192
• In-principle approval to renovation of the MOH Department building