Master plan to have parking provisions

With the aim of providing more space for parking,a proposal is being contemplated to allow marla house owners to break down the boundary walls of houses and use the space for parking. It forms part of the Master Plan being prepared for the city. The Plan would also make recommendations for introducing taxes to restrict the number of vehicles owned per household. Shrinking parking space is a cause of concern. The city with a population of 10 lakh has 9 lakh registered vehicles. Providing parking space,whether in residential areas or the commercial complexes,is proving a hard task. Most of the parking lots are overflowing with vehicles. The population residing in the UT periphery too adds to the burden on the city’s infrastructure.

“Recommendations have been made in the Master Plan that there has to be a check on the number of vehicles being added to the city’s roads,” said UT Chief Architect Sumit Kaur. “For this,taxes like a congestion tax may be introduced. In a landlocked city,there is a limit to the space that can be earmarked for parking.” The city has one of the highest per capita vehicles in India. The other suggestions include encouraging the use of public transport so that city roads do not remain choked. Ways for making roads pedestrian-friendly are being worked out.

Apart from the commercial areas where it is a nightmare to find parking space,the residential areas are no better. The problem is more acute in the multi-level houses,with different families staying on each floor. Each family owns multiple vehicles. The parking space available within the boundary of the house proves inadequate and vehicles are parked on the roads.

Officials explained that Chandigarh’s rising property prices are one of the causes for the problem. With property being very expensive in the city,it is becoming difficult to own even marla houses. People who can afford to buy such expensive property are also able to afford vehicles,in most cases more than one. However,the marla houses do not have sufficient provisions for parking.

The Chief Architect informed that proposals for community parking lots too are being looked at. People would be required to park their vehicles at the community parking lots and then walk a short distance to their houses.