Parking lot up & running, but roads still clogged in Noida

NOIDA: Shoppers flocking to the Sector 18 market prefer to park their vehicles on roads lining the shops despite the multi-level parking, which has a capacity to accommodate 3,000 cars, being ready.
According to data sourced from agencies that handle car parking at the market, 20,000 cars had been parked along the roads in a week in the middle of October compared to only 8,000 at the MLP. The multi-level parking, however, witnesses a rush during the weekend, when shoppers flock to the market from across the city.



Sources said most of those who prefer to park their vehicles on the surface are owners of shops and showrooms at the Sector 18 market.

Sources said most businessmen preferred to park their vehicles near their shops as the MLP is at a little distance from the main market. Others who park their vehicles along the road are those who come to the market for a few minutes. They usually park their cars or bikes near the shops they intend to visit.

This is despite the MLP having a reserved parking for corporate agencies, such as the Radisson Hotel across the street. The MLP witnesses a rush only during the weekend, when visitors prefer to spend long hours at the market. During peak business hours on Monday — between 1pm and 2pm — the surface parking has about 3,000 vehicles while the MLP has about 250. According to sources at DLF, the average time spent by a vehicle along the roads is about one and a half hours. Within the MLP, it is over two hours.

Shopowners said the MLP has had little effect in solving parking woes. “We agree the MLP has taken a portion of the parking load off during the mall rush in weekends. But for us who come here every day and spend long hours, it hasn’t helped a little. There is a double row of parked vehicles still in the central part of the market and the congestion continues as usual,” said Sushil Kumar Jain, president of the Sector 18 Market Owners’ Association claimed.

Another cause for snarls at the market area are motorcycles. Most people involved in buying, selling or supplying goods reach the stores on bikes. Most employees too access the market area on two-wheelers. According to the shopowners, more than 5,000 bikes come to Sector 18 daily while 4,000 cars get parked on the streets. The MLP remains empty and the streets full.

Repeated calls to the Noida Authority on how to solve the parking woes in the market were not answered.