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According to the commissioner, a tender for paid parking will be floated on Monday or Tuesday and once the company to manage parking lots is finalised, Panchkula residents have to pay to park their cars at markets within a month from now.
Panchkula Municipal Corporation is all set to charge fees for parking at every market in the city. As part of the process, the MC on Saturday initiated trial for paid parking in three markets for two days.
Speaking to Chandigarh Newsline, Panchkula MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said, “Due to mismanagement at parking lots in the markets, we have decided to charge fees for parking. As the market associations have not been able to manage parking and since a few residents have also approached us to look into the matter, paid parking seems to be the only option. Plus, the Panchkula MC will also be able to generate some revenue.”
According to the commissioner, a tender for paid parking will be floated on Monday or Tuesday and once the company to manage parking lots is finalised, Panchkula residents have to pay to park their cars at markets within a month from now.
The MC took over the parking lots of Sector 8, 9 and 10 markets on Saturday morning and deployed parking staff who were seen issuing slips for charging fees to visitors. At the parking lot for two-wheelers, Rs 10 was being charged, for four-wheelers Rs 20, for tempo Rs 100 and for truck/bus Rs 200. According to the parking staff, the amount was being charged for 24-hour parking. “We have barricaded the parking lot in the morning at 6 am today and as per orders, it will be paid till Sunday,” said a parking attendant.
The MC commissioner told Newsline that initially for two days, fees have to be paid for parking and the employees of the MC and Red Cross have also been deployed. “For the two-day trial, we are examining the rush and problems if any. The profit from the paid parking for two days will be given to the Red Cross society,” said Jogpal.
“We will not make parking smart just on paper but will provide all the basic neccessities. There will be toilets at the parking lots, RO machines for drinking water, sun shelters and also mobile phone charging points. The prices for paid parking are yet to be decided. But, in Panchkula, people will pay only once a day and not just for a few hours like in Chandigarh. And, once paid parking comes into effect, we will turn it into a completely smart parking,” added Jogpal.
Incidentally, members of the Apeksha Welfare Society, along with other city-based NGOs, opposed the paid parking being initiated by the MC. The protesters said the MC was making parking paid without issuing any notification. They alleged that the MC officials have failed to find a solution to drainage at the parking lots. Also, while people in Chandigarh have been opposing the parking rates, how come the Panchkula MC imposed such heavy parking prices of Rs 20 per vehicle at once, the protesters wondered.
The commissioner, however, stated that only a few people opposed the initiative while many were in favour of paid parking.
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