Faridabad’s automated multi-level parking facility set to be operational

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 11

The first automated multi-level parking facility, which was formally inaugurated over nine months ago by the then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, is set to be made operational. Various issues like the delay in resolution of parking charges and the election code have rendered the newly-built facility unused so far.

With a capacity of over 100 vehicles, the first-of-its-kind fully automated multi-parking lot is located adjacent to the Old Faridabad main market, near Sector-16.

Though the Rs 16.5-crore facility has been constructed by the Faridabad Smart City Limited (FSCL), it was to be handed over to the local civic authorities.

As the land on which this parking lot has been constructed belongs to the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), the decision related to the user fee charges and its operations is also under the purview of the department; claim district administration sources.

The decision regarding the functionality of the parking lot has been hanging fire in wake of no clear directions from the authorities concerned, who had been busy in conducting the Lok Sabha elections, it is claimed. Later, the Haryana Assembly elections further delayed the decision, said an official.

Built under the Smart City project, it was claimed to be the first state-of-the-art parking facility, designed to address parking woes in the areas adjoining the main market and residential areas of Old Faridabad.

The construction cost of the parking lot has been around Rs 13 crore, while an additional amount of Rs 3.5 crore has been earmarked for its operation and maintenance for a period of five years. However, the authorities are yet to announce the parking rates and other conditions associated with outsourcing the operations, said an official.

Lack of proper and regulated parking spaces has been a major problem in the city, says SK Sharma, Coordinator Road Safety Organisation and NGO.

HSVP administrator Anand Sharma said the automated parking lot is expected to be made functional soon as the model code of conduct has been lifted.