‘More parking spaces can end traffic chaos on roads’

Ludhiana: Residents and experts say more parking spaces are required to ease the traffic chaos on roads. They are also of the view that before declaring commercial the main road of any area, the authorities should check whether it has enough parking space, besides the building bylaws must be strictly implemented. Expressing helplessness, the municipal corporation officials said they could act only after getting a go-ahead from the MC general house.
Kapil Arora, a civil engineer and resident of BRS Nagar, said, “The major issue is that some of the officials are not performing their duty and not sealing complexes where there are no parking arrangements. In 2019, too, one-time settlement policy was notified for regularisation of illegal buildings. Though it was challenged in the court, people applied under the policy and even gave in writing that they will ensure parking facility. Many, however, did not keep their word. I have stopped taking the main BRS Nagar road to reach my house because of commercial activities and traffic jam on the stretch.”
One of the directors of Ludhiana Smart City Limited Sanjay Goel said, “To meet the need for more parking spaces, the government should identify available vacant land and acquire those for providing the facility. They should then impose tax on residents parking cars on roads in residential areas. This will keep a check on those who have enough space at their houses but are still parking cars on roads. In every meeting, I have taken up the issues of parking and traffic with officials concerned, but all the suggestions went unheeded and even the proposed parking projects were dropped. The city needs more multi-level parking lots.”
Rahul Verma, a businessman and resident of Sarabha Nagar who participates in various MC meetings, said, “The actual culprits are some of the MC officials who are damaging the planned schemes of the city for a few bucks they get for issuing change of land use certificates. If the officials had planned parking spaces before allowing commercial activities in Ghumar Mandi, then the situation would have been different. There are many areas that can be saved from becoming a mess if officials strictly implement the rules.”
MC senior town planner Surinder Bindra said, “It is in the hands of MC general house to allow sealing of properties violating rules. I can only bring a resolution in the meeting. The house members should give a nod and I will go ahead with the directions.”