ISLAMABAD: The issue of parking places in busy markets of twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has worsened as the number of citizens coming for Eid shopping has increased.
The shoppers are finding it difficult to get space in the parking lots. In many congested areas, including Abpara, Medoldy Market, Jinnah Super Market, Sadder, China Market, Commercial Market, Tench Bazaar; vehicles can be seen parked on roads, disrupting the smooth flow of traffic.
A shopper Zia Saeed in Abpara said, “It has become a serious issue and is bound to get worse in future, The absence of parking space in the market results in long traffic jams, as people are forced to park their cars on the roadside.”
“There is no proper parking facility on College Road and shopkeepers reserve the parking area in front of their shops which creates, even more, trouble for shoppers.” He added.
It is pertinent to mention here that majority of the plazas on busy commercial sectors have also outsourced their outside space to some parking contractors, which is an illegal act.
A female driver Irum Naz said, “In Saddar, there are only a few plazas that have their own parking areas in the basement, they charge Rs20 per hour and double the parking charges after every hour. We had to shop and eat dinner that took 3 hours so I had to pay Rs60 for parking that is quite unfair “
A traffic police officer said, “The traffic department has outlined a plan for easing traffic snarls in many areas of the city in the wake of Eid festival. Diversions and restrictions on various chowks and U-turns of the city have been made.
“We need citizens’ cooperation too, drivers and motorists should use available space carefully. It can be done by more use of public transportation than private transportation,” he added.
There is an urgent need to improve public transport system besides working on smart car parking techniques adopted by many developed countries. Laws are also required to be strictly implemented when the construction is initiated for commercial or even residential projects, where space for parking must be ensured.