65 parking lots on anvil in Faridabad

Faridabad, June 15

The Municipal Corporation of Faridabad has started work on a project to enhance the facility of public parking here. It has planned to set up 65 parking lots in the city to address the problem of illegal parking.

The plan of creating new parking facilities is expected to be finalised soon, according to sources in the civic administration. They said that the issues of traffic chaos and parking hassles has come up in the meetings of district officials on several occasions.

It is further revealed that although the government had approved the plan about two years ago, it had been lying in the cold storage.

The parking facilities are proposed to be developed at public places like markets, Centre’s and state government offices, banks, hospitals and bus and Metro stations.

A senior official of the Municipal Corporation said the civic body was prepared to issue a tender for the removal of vehicles parked in an illegal or unauthorised manner from main roads and public places. However, it would be done after the creation of the parking facility in various areas. Also, the traffic police might be involved in the exercise, he said.

It is claimed that the plan, which included a proposal for developing a multi-level parking, had been in the pipeline for many years. But the project was hanging fire due to the lack of clear directions and approval from the higher authorities.

The plan to construct a multi-level parking on BOT (Build Operate and Transfer) basis near the Mini-Secretariat was envisaged about 15 years ago. It was abandoned about two years ago due to the lack of interest among private players and the authorities.

“The problem remains unaddressed largely due to the lack of proper infrastructure. Besides, issuing challans has failed to curb haphazard and illegal parking,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

City resident Varun Sheokand said the parking of hundreds of vehicles on roads was leading to a mess at the Mini-Secretariat and District Judicial Complex in Sector 12. Besides, this had led to the prevalence of the parking mafia, he added.

The head offices of the Municipal Corporation, and the main markets of NIT, Ballabhgarh and Old Faridabad are also facing the lack of parking facilities on premises and in the vicinity.

It is also worth mentioning that the first multi-level automated parking facility, which was inaugurated in January near the Old Faridabad market, is yet to be operational.

MC Chief Engineer Birender Kardam said the draft of the parking project was expected to be ready within two weeks. He added that this was expected to effectively resolve the problem of illegal parking.

Plans stuck due to red tape

• Although the government had approved the plan two years ago, it had been lying in the cold storage.
• Besides, the plan to construct a multi-level parking on BOT (Build Operate and Transfer) basis near the Mini-Secretariat was envisaged 15 years ago.
• But it was abandoned two years ago due to the lack of interest among private players and the authorities.
• Additionally, the multi-level automated parking facility, which was inaugurated in January near the Old Faridabad market, is yet to be operational.