As tourist flow rises, parking issues crop up around Golden Temple

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 1

With a majority of tourists coming on four-wheelers (personal vehicles and taxis) to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, the need for more parking space is being felt more than ever. Frequent road and rail blockades, besides fear of contracting Covid-19, has forced tourists to shun public transport.

Harjap Singh Aujla, a tourist said, “By the grace of god, tourits are back, but now they prefer to travel on their own vehicles. Saragarhi parking near the Golden Temple always remain full. It gets difficult to park a vehicle within the walled city. The need for another parking lot is being felt.”

SP Singh, who is trader, said a large number of locals started using two-wheelers as they do not find adequate parking space. “The entire area around the Golden Temple is a hub of blankets, suiting and shirting, besides retail market of gold ornaments and utensils, among others,” he said.

Akshay Kumar, a contractor of Saragarhi parking, said, “ A total of 800 four-wheelers can be parked here. There’s no space for Tempo travellers. At least four more parking lots, with each having capacity to accommodate 2,000 vehicles, should be developed.”

He said a proposal to add seven more storeys to Saragarhi parking has been forwarded to the Local Government.

Notably, the multi-level automated parking lot proposed under the Smart City project at Kairon Market is situated close to Saragarhi parking. Akshay said land of Old Sabzi Mandi outside the Hall Gate could be used as a automated parking lot.