To reduce the pressure of growing number of vehicles in Chandigarh, the administration has implemented a new parking policy which emphasises on promoting cycling.
The parking policy was hanging in the balance for almost three years due to several deficiencies. The Punjab-Haryana High Court had also reprimanded the Chandigarh administration regarding this.
Read all the important points here:
- Under this parking policy, a company which employs more than 50 people, will have to start a separate shuttle bus service for its employees. This is also applicable to government departments, industrial, IT companies, etc.
- Functions, melas or gatherings within the sectoral grid of the city and industrial areas attract huge number of cars. Hence, organisers or industrial owner will arrange shuttle service from prominent locations and will be part of the booking permission granted by the authorities concerned.
- “Differential timings for schools/offices among Punjab/Haryana/UT, especially those of Chandigarh administration, will be adopted to reduce the demand for parking,” the parking policy states.
- Multi-level parking structures will be developed to accommodate the existing demand for parking. Multi-level parking will have proper access road and separate entry and exit ramps for the movement of vehicles to all floors.
- Parking on footpaths will be strictly prohibited and civic agencies/police will tow such illegally parked vehicles and a lane should be earmarked for unhindered movement of emergency vehicles – ambulance, fire tenders, police vehicle in all streets from V1 to V5. Similarly, emergency lane shall be marked in all commercial areas as recommended by the Chief Fire Officer.
- In all no-parking zones, only boarding-alighting will be permitted. Halting of vehicle for more than five minutes in the no-parking zone with the driver sitting in the vehicle will not be permitted and it will be treated as violation of no parking regulation. Stopping vehicles at bus stops and on turnings, even for boarding-alighting purposes will not be permitted.
- When purchasing a car, people will have to provide a parking space certificate. If you do not have a place to park the car, then registration will not be done.
- The parking policy clearly specified that in areas where adequate parking space is not available, on-street parking on payment basis must be introduced at reasonable safe distance for footpath/cyclists and design of one street parking as per UTTIPEC (Unified Traffic and Transport Infrastructure Planning Engineering Centre Guidelines).
- The Market Welfare Association and Resident Welfare Association (RWA) will have to work actively to solve the parking problem in different markets. They will enforce all parking laws, including pedestrian and cyclists’ right of way, instead of parking cars on footpaths.
- The parking policy states that community parking for night in each sub-sector shall be created by using neighbourhood commercial and institutional parking lots. These facilities will be managed and run as per the guidelines formulated by MC, Chandigarh in association with RWAS.
- Encroachment by vendors must be removed and they should be shifted to their designated locations by enforcement agencies so as to free the pedestrian areas, parking areas and other such places.
- All colleges and universities located inside the city will also be advised to discourage the use of four-wheelers among students either by increasing the user fee of the vehicles or by banning them completely.
- Bicycle and e-vehicle parking will have to be provided in every market, government and private offices, companies and community centres in the city.
- It is recommended to start a bus corridor from Chandigarh to connect Panchkula, Mohali and Zirakpur.
All schools, colleges, government and private institutions in the city will have pick and drop off zones.
