Open house: What should be done to streamline parking woes caused by space shortage, more vehicles?

Improve public transport in cities

The authorities should learn from the developed and disciplined nations. Do we find haphazard parking when we go to these countries? So, the first thing is to provide parking space as per requirement and fix reasonable parking fees. All commercial establishments in a particular area should be charged with creating multi-storey modern parking establishments with 24-hour facility. Heavy fines and impounding of haphazardly parked vehicles should be legalised by the governments concerned. Presently, more than 50 per cent of vehicle owners don't have parking space in their houses, offices and business outlets. In residential colonies, people use streets and lanes for parking, making the lives of other people tough. India should follow the path of Singapore and Malaysia by implementing stringent laws like issuing NOCs for purchase of new vehicles only if the owner has parking space. Still more important is to provide safe, rapid, affordable and effective public transport like trams, local trains and buses.

Dr Bholla Singh Sidhu

Designate parking space for vehicles

The escalating traffic woes in and around the city is the outcome of severe negligence of civic duties by all of us. Probably, we have taken law for granted and have thrown caution to the wind. Even the cops on duty stand like mock spectators as nobody pays heed to their warnings. I believe that there should be deterrence and the policemen should arrest the wrong-doers. Imposition of heavy fine is the other way out to curb this menace. Sometimes, the traffic jams result in collateral damage as the ailing find it an uphill task to wade through the narrow streets jam-packed with wrongly parked vehicles. The Municipal Corporation must awake from its deep slumber and set up the designated parking areas at an affordable rate. Above all, the citizens should rack their brain and take up the responsibility to behave nicely.

Simranjeet Singh Saini

Exercise strict control measures

In order to streamline the parking woes, the administration should basically and foremost follow the basic management principle of solving problem within a time period. It should plan to get rid of increasing vehicular population and shortage of space in the city. For this, it should first take the step of introducing odd-even scheme for vehicles like in Delhi. Secondly, it should take the step of making spacious parking lots in cities, like in Chandigarh. Last but the most important step it should take is to exercise control measures to implement the above two steps as soon as possible and impose a heavy fine on defaulters.

Sanjay Chawla

Form committees to oversee parking

Parking is the main problem in cities because the population is increasing rapidly, and the number of vehicles is also increasing. This problem can be solved by building more parking lots, encouraging alternative transport, and implementing employee parking charging. Parking creates jams in the cities that creates hindrances for the public and results in wastage of precious time. Sometimes people have a medical emergency and traffic jams can put their life in danger. Each city of the state should form a committee that will see which vehicles are allowed or not allowed in narrow streets. These committees should build more parks in the cities. In those parks, they should appoint employees to put the vehicles in a systematic way and charge a fee from the owners of the vehicles.

Sucha Singh Sagar

Earmark no-vehicle zones in cities

With increasing density of automobiles, parking of vehicles has become a big concern in urban India. Apparently, the scarcity of parking lots has led to a host of problems, which includes congestion, pollution and frustration among the commuters. Lack of planning during rapid urbanisation and illegal encroachments on vacant spaces has resulted in people parking their vehicles haphazardly on sidewalks, roads, streets and other public spaces, causing congestion and chaos. It is a pity that despite horrifying pollution levels, new business houses and food eateries are allowed to come up along the roads and in dense residential localities without providing enough space for parking of vehicles. This not only creates environmental hazards but causes a lot of traffic inconvenience to the commuters and pedestrians as well. Though little efforts have been made by the government to decongest the crowded places in some cities by shifting offices/establishments to outside areas, the problem continues as the space so vacated is used again to construct commercial shops or malls rather than developing public parks or parking lots there. Thus the civic authorities are required to take effective steps to address the prevailing issues, such as infrastructural improvement and restricting illegal parking on roads, lanes or in front of shops/offices. While constructing multi-storey parking, garages will meet space constraints. One-way traffic movement or regulating entry of vehicles to crowded places can also be helpful in easing the snarls during peak congestion hours. Besides, CCTV network should be expanded to monitor the parking situation and keep a close vigil on traffic movement, which will get rid of road rages cases reported every day. The traffic police have to be strict with rampant encroachments and stop haphazard parking through robust action against the vehicle owners using unauthorised parking sites. Additionally, the public must be sensitised through hoardings and periodic announcements to park vehicles at designated places only. No permission should be granted for construction of new establishments without adequate provision for parking and proper approach roads. Similarly, earmarking no-vehicle zones in cities with narrow roads leading to busy markets is essential to solve the traffic woes. Not the least, heavy congestion charges may be levied on plying of vehicles in busy areas to address parking woes other than help to reduce the impact of toxic emissions from vehicles. Undeniably, parking in cities is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted solution to prevent environmental complications and economic losses, as the traders and shops lose customers who are deterred by vehicle parking constraints. Indeed, by introducing smart parking systems, traffic management strategies and encouraging alternative modes of transport, we can alleviate the problem and create a more sustainable urban environment.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Allot contract to specialised operators

The growing vehicular population is creating a significant shortage of parking lots in urban areas. This problem is exacerbated by the poor management of available parking space, often overseen by private contractors whose primary focus is only on collecting parking charges, albeit optimising the usage of parking space. To address this growing problem, the Municipal Corporation (MC) should contemplate outsourcing the smart parking initiatives to specialised private operators through a public-private partnership model. Implementing a mobile app or FASTag or QR code-based system for cashless payments and advance slot bookings for parking vehicles could streamline the parking process while enhancing user convenience. The MC must come up with strict timelines for smart parking initiatives and enforce accountability among the officials concerned. To ensure the timely completion of smart parking initiatives, regular progress reviews should be conducted, and transparency in fund allocation must be maintained by engaging private players to enhance efficiency. Given that residents are already burdened with various charges like property tax, water supply, sewage charges, vehicle registration fees and road tax, they deserve access to adequate parking space ideally free or at minimal rationalised rates. Additionally, the MC should consider installing sensors for real-time occupancy tracking, introducing variable pricing based on demand, and setting clear deadlines for project completion. Enforcing accountability among officials involved in the smart parking project will also be crucial for its success.

Kulwant Singh Phull

Rise in number of vehicles a problem

Parking is a major problem in cities due to population growth. The number of vehicles has also increased. Every member in the house has a separate car. Searching for parking space leads to traffic congestion, especially in busy commercial areas. People must be encouraged to use public transport to reduce the need for parking but the problem is that public transport is not of good quality. Use of public transport will reduce the number of vehicles on the road. Streamlining parking issues requires a combination of infrastructure, policy changes and technological solution. Adopt smart parking information on mobile apps like in foreign countries and provide real-time data on available parking space. Cashless payment methods should be adopted to reduce delays and improve efficiency. The only good solution is to improve public transport with good mini-bus service replacing the big buses. To reduce traffic, implement strict traffic rules, tow away the car immediately if it is parked in no-parking zone. Heavy fine should be levied during peak hours and limited time should be allowed for parking. Develop multi-level underground parking. Even residential maps should not be cleared without parking space. There is too much chaos near schools, they should have proper parking for buses and cars of guardians, so that the public is not harassed.

Shashi Kiran

Space is limited, tackle constraints

The city is grappling with the problem of parking in view of the ever increasing number of vehicles on the roads every year and limited space to accommodate them. The administration is urgently required to initiate both long-term and short-term measures to deal with the challenge. As regards short-term goals, the parking management all over the city has to be meticulously planned and efficiently executed. It includes streamlining existing parking spaces to accommodate maximum vehicles at a given time. Compliance with traffic rules have to be strictly enforced. If required, no-vehicle zones and one-way traffic in busy areas have to be contemplated. In long-term measures, robust parking infrastructure has to be built and maintained on an affordable and sustainable basis. The parking tax can be levied on more than one or two cars per family to decongest residential areas of the city. In busy prominent areas, multi- layered parking buildings need to be built to facilitate convenient operations at affordable charges. Further, digital technology for online management of parking operations at major points should be developed for convenience of the drivers and earning hassle-free revenue for the city.

Jagdish Chander

Remove pedestrian footpaths if not in use

Multi-storey parking, underground parking, slab-wise rates for parking two-wheelers and four-wheelers, a fixed rate for a minimum of eight hours and different slabs for night parking and 24-hour parking are among the measures that should be contemplated. The pedestrian footpaths should either be removed if they are not used or are under the possession of petty shopkeepers selling their items. There is no space left for parking in the city. Even the green zones have been converted into parking lots. There is not much space available in the internal city and that is the PUDA Complex near Milap Chowk, Old Court premises near Jyoti Chowk which can be converted into temporary parking space. In the present context, due to squeezing of parking space, cars and scooters are even parked in the service lane. The need is to ponder over how to widen the roads and that mechanism lies with the administration, officials of Municipal Corporation and PUDA authorities. If timely action is not taken by the administration, it will be difficult for the owners to park their vehicles in future.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Question for next week

With the civic body elections slated for December 21, what steps should be taken by the district administration to ensure free and fair conduct of the elections?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (December 12)