Chandigarh: Panel moots free parking at internal markets

There are a total of 99 paid parking lots in the city now. Which all parking lots will be made free and which will be paid — all these details will be discussed at length at another meeting scheduled to be held on Friday.

BJP councillor Arun Sood who is the chairman of the parking committee said, “There are some parking lots which residents visit daily to carry out routine purchases. So one can’t be charged for his/her every visit. That is why the local internal markets of the sectors will be kept free except for the Sector 22 one which has always been a paid parking.”

He added, “We had received 15 proposals from market welfare associations and we have recommended that 15 parking lots be given to them. At some places the market welfare associations are managing the parking lots really well and that too free of cost.”

As far as the zones of the parking lots are concerned, it was decided that sectors 16 and 17 would be in one zone, sectors 22, 34, 35 and 43 would be in second zone and the rest of the parking lots would be in zone III, that is sectors 20, 26, Manimajra, Elante Mall, Industrial Area Phase-I, Fun Republic and tourist buses parking, Manimajra. In zone 4 would be parking lots of sectors 7, 8 and 9 respectively.

“Zoning would help us because we will then give parking lots to different contractors zone-wise and not to one company. In case the system doesn’t work, it should come to a halt everywhere. At least other areas should be managed,” he said.

The members asked the officers concerned to make changes in the terms and conditions as per the observations of the committee and put up in the next meeting for final decision and amendments if needed. The committee suggested that proper space would be designated/earmarked for parking of two-wheelers and four-wheelers in each parking lot.

The members were of the view that eligibility of bidder will be discussed and decided after fixing of reserve price of the parking lots zone-wise. They decided that all infrastructure and equipment would be forfeited in case of pre-mature surrender/termination of the contract or these will be the property of Municipal Corporation Chandigarh after completion of the agreement.

The meeting was attended by the other members, Hardeep Singh, Senior Deputy Mayor, Asha Kumari Jaswal, Gurbax Rawat, Mahesh Inder Singh Sidhu, Manoj Bansal, Chief Engineer and officers concerned of Municipal Corporation Chandigarh.