7 hours Ago
With the municipal corporation (MC) unable to hand over parking lots to a private firm since taking over their management in January 2023, the parking system across Chandigarh has became as a growing concern. Poor management, inadequate staffing, and the lack of accountability have resulted in mounting complaints from residents and market associations. The civic body is running its 87 paid parking lots with limited manpower, leading to disorganised and inefficient management on the ground.
Across markets, especially in high-footfall areas like Sectors 8, 17, 19, 22, 41 and others, users face daily chaos, with no proper guidance, misbehaving attendants and unregulated long-term parking. Sector 22, one of Chandigarh’s oldest and busiest commercial hubs, is among the worst affected. “We already have limited parking space, but due to haphazard parking, only about 50% of it is effectively utilised.
MC should deploy more staff (at least one in each parking lot) in the busiest times, like mornings or evenings, so that optimum utilisation of space is done,” said Kultar Singh, president of the Market Welfare Association (MWA), Sector 22-C. “On top of that, the MC staff deployed here constantly harass shopkeepers at the entry and exit points. When questioned, they claim that they are assigned new lots every day, so they cannot recognise regular visitors or customers,” he added.
The market leaders in Sector 8, which is known for its cluster of office spaces and eateries, say the situation is no better. “The MC staff is only interested in collecting money at the gate. Once the vehicle enters, no one helps with parking.
Two-wheelers and four-wheelers are often parked haphazardly, blocking pathways and exits,” said Sharanjit Singh, president of the Sector 8 market association. “Amid haphazard parking, several visitors find it difficult to manoeuvre their vehicles out of the lots. Moreover, office-goers occupy premium spots from 9 am to 6 pm, leaving no room for shoppers.
We’ve suggested that daily office users be directed to the rear-side parking to ensure availability for customers,” he added. The issue is citywide, said Sanjeev Chadha, president of Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM), adding,“In every MC-run paid parking lot, there are long queues and frequent arguments at the entry points over fee collection. The staff is indifferent once they receive the payment and do not bother in ensuring whether the vehicles are parked properly or not.
Earlier, the MC had allowed the first 10 minutes as a free window for pick-and-drop, especially to aid quick visits, but this is never followed. ” 17-member committee formed to finalise Smart Parking project Ironically, the civic body’s long-promised Smart Parking project was supposed to fix these very issues. Conceived in August 2022, the project aimed to introduce a FASTag-enabled, tech-driven system across all 87 parking lots, with real-time monitoring, digital payments, and proper enforcement.
However, nearly three years later, the project still remains on paper. Currently, MC charges ₹ 7 for two-wheelers and ₹ 14 for four-wheelers, regardless of the duration of parking or vehicle registration. To ensure that city parking lots are managed more efficiently, municipal commissioner Amit Kumar has formed a 17-member committee t o draft a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) of the project for hiring a private vendor.
The committee, led by councillor Saurabh Joshi, will provide expert views on the entire project. On Saturday, Joshi spearheaded the formation of five specialised sub-committees to fast-track the development of a citywide smart parking solution under the PPP model. The sub committees, including RFP drafting and documentation; technical feasibility and design; financial modelling and PPP structure; legal compliance and safeguards; and stakeholder engagement and public feedback, comprise experts from IT, engineering, finance, and law, who are supported by field officials and stakeholder representatives.
All sub-committees have been directed to submit their findings and draft contributions by May 23, ensuring that the final RFP is ready for roll-out without delay. Joshi said, “On Monday, the committee members will visit and study the smart parking operations at Chandigarh airport, Elante Mall, and other key locations to gather on-ground insights and best practices that can inform the proposed citywide solution.”.
