Open house: What should Chandigarh do to ensure that there are no parking problems and snarl-ups?

Parking vows during rush hour have become a fact of life. People dread visiting markets during peak hours. The administration should deploy some attendants at the markets to assist the visitors in parking their vehicles. Further, valet parking should be introduced at least for senior citizens and differently abled people.

NPS Sohal

Avoid private vehicles amid festive season

The administration should allow parking on the premises of government and private institutions, especially amid a festive season. Besides, the police should assume a friendly manner while enforcing rules and regulations. Cops must not harass people by fining them at the drop of a hat. Members of the general public must be responsible and avoid using their privately owned vehicles to commute to help ease traffic congestion.

Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh

Ensure traders don’t encroach on spaces

School and college premises should be open for parking. Besides, there is a need to ensure that traders do not encroach upon spaces earmarked for the parking of vehicles. Traffic police personnel must be deployed to ease vehicular congestion on the roads. Market associations must deploy some attendants to address the visitors’ parking woes.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Act against those flouting rules

Haphazard parking leads to traffic congestion. The surge in the number of cars on the roads has only added to the problem. Encroachment by vendors during the festive season further compounds the situation. Strict action should be taken against violators. If anyone flouts the norms, they should be issued a challan, and their driving licence must be cancelled. It is high time we started carpooling. There is a need to promote that eco-friendly practice. Public transit should be preferred for commute over private vehicles. The introduction of the Metro train in the area could be a long-term solution.

Yash Khetarpal

Choose public transit over private vehicles

To check traffic congestion amid the ongoing festive season, we should avoid visiting markets during the peak morning and evening hours. Online shopping is a preferable alternative. Besides, there is a need for the installation of automated traffic lights to prevent snarl-ups. Further, residents should be encouraged to use public transportation facilities.

Vijay Katyal, Panchkula

Introduce odd-even system in city

Traffic police personnel should be deployed at every roundabout. Any violation of norms should invite a challan. Pick-up and drop-off points should be marked along the city roads for auto-rickshaws to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. We can also take a leaf out of Delhi’s book by introducing an odd-even system.

Biragam Singh, Rajpura

Promote public transport, carpooling

To tackle the surge in traffic during the festive season in Chandigarh, the authorities concerned should come up with some ingenious solutions. Firstly, the administration could set up pop-up parking lots in open spaces like parks or unused lots. Secondly, the authorities can promote the use of public transportation. Additionally, they should encourage businesses to offer shuttle services to customers. Lastly, there is a need to prod the city residents to carpool. Such measures can help ease traffic congestion and fix parking-related problems.

Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali

Offer incentives for carpooling

In order to make sure that people do not face parking problems or traffic jams on the city roads, the authorities can create pop-up parking lots in nearby disused spaces. Implement a dynamic parking pricing system. Offer free or discounted parking to shoppers who carpool or use public transportation. Use technology to improve the flow of traffic. Promote alternative modes of transportation, such as cycling and walking. The authorities can also work in tandem with local businesses to come up with some ingenious measures, such as valet parking and shuttle services.

Amanjot Kaur, Mohali

Come up with carpooling scheme

The authorities can create a mobile app that allows people to book parking slots in advance and pay for the same online. The app can indicate the availability of parking spaces in real time and guide the drivers to the nearest vacant spot. Introduce a carpooling scheme that encourages people to share rides with others who are headed in the same direction. The authorities can offer carpoolers incentives like discounts, vouchers or free parking.

Gurdev Singh, Mohali

Collaborate with firms to fix issue

In view of the rush due to the festivities, authorities should designate specific areas for parking, manage the traffic flow by roping in more police personnel for the same, promote public transportation, create pedestrian zones, offer valet parking, establish park-and-ride facilities, introduce online parking reservations, and extend shopping hours. Besides, they should enforce parking regulations, collaborate with businesses, engage the community, ensure emergency response routes, and continually assess and adjust strategies to mitigate parking problems and traffic congestion.

Prithvee Yakhmi

Take help of RWAs to check congestion

The vehicular rush is swelling because of the ongoing festivities. The civic bodies of the tri-city should reach out to residents’ welfare associations to spread awareness among the masses about the importance of parking their vehicles in the right spot. The police personnel should help ease traffic congestion.

MR Bhateja, Naya Gaon

Create pedestrian-friendly zones

Online shopping and home delivery services must be encouraged so that parking problems and traffic congestion can be alleviated amid the ongoing festive season. Incentives should be offered to residents for using public transportation facilities. More traffic police personnel should be deployed to manage the flow of traffic. Besides, creating pedestrian-friendly zones will be a step in the right direction.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

Don’t let visitors park vehicles at markets

With the onset of the festive season, there has been a rise in footfall across tri-city markets. The authorities should earmark separate areas for the purpose of parking. Visitors should not be allowed to park their vehicles at markets.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Admn caught napping every festive season

The city witnesses long traffic jams during the festive season every year. The administration has been caught napping yet again. In view of the heavy vehicular flow, the traffic police should earmark some additional slots near busy markets for parking. Cops should also look out for violations. However, such measures will only yield a positive outcome if people comply with them.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Facilitate movement of ambulances

The city has been beset with parking woes for a while. The situation may further deteriorate as Diwali approaches. The MC must not allow vendors to encroach upon parking spaces. Open spaces can be used to park vehicles during the festive season. Besides, the authorities must make sure that ambulances and fire tenders get the right of way.

Wg Cdr (DR) JS Minhas (retd), Mohali

Operate special buses to ferry shoppers

During this time of the year, as the winter begins to set in, people throng markets. Consequently, there are long traffic jams. The administration should operate special buses to ferry residents to markets.

Ramanjit Kaur, Mohali

Use vacant open spaces for parking

Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali are already reeling under traffic congestion and parking problems. It always gets worse during the festive season. It is this time of the year when people throng markets. The authorities concerned should earmark more spaces for parking as there has been a steep rise in the number of private vehicles on the city roads. The administration should deploy more traffic police personnel to oversee the parking of cars at markets. Disused open spaces or the premises of educational institutions can be utilised for the parking of vehicles. There is an urgent need to prompt members of the public to either use public buses for their commute or carpool.

Sanjay Chopra

Don’t let traders occupy space on roads

With the arrival of the festive season, there has been a surge of crowds at markets across the tri-city, which is leading to traffic jams. People should be responsible and only park their vehicles in the right spot. The administration should impose hefty penalties on violators. Besides, the authorities concerned need to make sure that traders do not encroach upon roads.

Kashvi

Launch Crackdown on violators

Residents must ensure carpooling to avoid traffic jams. The roads leading to key shopping centres should be made one-way. Besides, the police should impose a challan on people who violate the norms. If someone parks their vehicle at the wrong spot, their driving licence should be suspended.

Savita Kuthiala

Residents should tell on violators

The city lacks adequate parking spaces. The problem has been further exacerbated by the fact that too many people park their vehicles in a haphazard manner. It further spells trouble for commuters. Joint efforts by authorities and the public can help minimise the problem. Residents should inform the authorities if they come across any kind of violation, so that those flouting the norms can be penalised. Utilising the premises of government schools for parking will be of great help. The authorities must keep an eye out for the encroachment of spaces by vendors. The quality of life has been declining in the city because of the growing population. More population also means more traffic and pollution. Hence, there is a need to check the number of people relocating to the city.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

Increase frequency of bus services

Parking problems prevalent in the city have never been properly addressed. The exponential growth in vehicular traffic on city roads poses a serious challenge for the authorities and the public alike. The problem becomes acute during festive seasons, when the city roads become congested. During the festive season, all commercial sectors should be declared ‘no-vehicle zones’. There is a need to improve the connectivity and increase the frequency of public buses services across the city, as it could help encourage more people to opt for public transit.

SS Arora, Mohali

Set up bus stops near markets

The administration should prod members of the public to opt for public transport amid the ongoing festive season. The authorities should lower the local bus fare to that end. Temporary bus stops should be set up near key markets in the city. Open spaces behind the shops should be used for the purpose of parking.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar

Let main market stay open at night

Traffic jams are becoming increasingly common in the tri-city, especially during rush hour. The situation further deteriorates during the festive season. The administration should use the premises of educational institutions and government buildings for the purpose of parking. The authorities should consider letting the main market stay open late into the night. This would help ensure that people do not throng the market during rush hour.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Inform public about parking spaces

It is always a challenge to regulate traffic, especially during a festive season. Even though some additional spaces have been earmarked for parking, not many know about them. The authorities concerned should put up notices to inform the public about the same. The administration should rope in volunteers, in consultation with residents’ welfare associations, market bodies and NGOs, to help control the issue. Besides, violators should be dealt with strictly.

Vijay Shukla

Avoid use of private vehicles

As people throng markets amid the festive season, there has been a surge in vehicular traffic in the city. It is common to find many vehicles parked haphazardly at markets across the tri-city. To nip the parking problems in the bud, people should avoid using their private vehicles. They should try covering short distances on foot. Alternatively, they can use electric buses for their commute.

Parisha Khatri

Use signage to guide visitors on parking

In order to avoid a heavy flow of traffic near markets during the festive season, the authorities must make the automobilists aware of the parking facilities available for them at government schools near busy markets across Chandigarh. The authorities can put up signage at the designated places to that end. Alternatively, police personnel can be deputed on the spot to guide visitors on parking. But parking problems cannot be tackled unless people make collective efforts by carpooling or taking public transport or cabs.

Gurnam Singh Rathore, Chandigarh

Pollution taking toll on public health

Traffic jams near markets in the tri-city have become a cause for concern. Shoppers often stay stuck in snarl-ups. It also leads to a rise in pollution levels. Noise pollution and the declining air quality due to heavy vehicular movement do not bode well for public health. The pollution caused by a massive flow of vehicles has been shown to cause a spike in various cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. To end the residents’ parking woes, multi-level parking should also be considered on priority. Further, an extension of the existing flyover or the construction of a new one can help ease traffic congestion.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav

Operate more buses on busy routes

The authorities must operate more buses on busy routes to check traffic congestion. Additional spaces should be designated for parking, and any encroachments in corridors and parking areas should be removed at the earliest opportunity. Besides, a digital platform must be in place to make users aware of the available parking spaces near a particular market. Traffic police personnel should be deployed on all busy routes and parking lots.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

Deploy more traffic police personnel

The authorities should make sure that there are proper routes for automobilists to avoid traffic snarls. More police personnel should be deployed to regulate the traffic. People should prefer to use public vehicles over their own privately owned vehicles. Hefty fines should be imposed on anyone who violates the rules.

Garima, Mohali

Question for next week

The city has logged 124 fresh dengue cases in the past 25 days. This is an alarming increase from the 140 cases reported until October 1. What steps should residents and the Health Department take to check the spread of the vector-borne disease?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com