LAHORE: As part of the Lahore Development Authority’s (LDA) Urban Planning Vision 2015 initiative, the first-of-its-kind nine-storey parking facility, the “Park and Ride Plaza”, located at the Liberty Roundabout adjacent to the United Christian Hospital, is all set to be opened to the public on November 30, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The plaza was likely to be opened in October, but due to a delay in the delivery of material required for the building’s exterior, the Traffic and Engineering Planning Agency (TEPA) had to defer it to November’s end, an official of TEPA said.
Pedestrians only: After the plaza becomes operational, he continued, all sorts of vehicular parking at roadsides and at the side streets in the area would be banned, and the region would be earmarked only to be used by pedestrians.
Acting TEPA Chief Engineer Israr Saeed told Pakistan Today that the construction of plaza was part of the LDA’s mega plan to create a Central Business District (CBD) in the city, which would comprise Jail Road, Main Boulevard Gulberg, MM Alam Road, part of Hali Road and the Shahrah-e-Noor Jehan. He said that the project would also help create investment, business and employment opportunities.
“We have also planned to construct five more parking plazas after completing the Park and Ride Plaza and Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif has already approved their construction,” he added.
Saeed said that Shahbaz would inaugurate the plaza within this month, but the date has not been finalized.
An LDA official said that initially the Park and Ride Parking Plaza was to be built at a cost of Rs 500 million, and the structure was supposed to have five floors on an area of 3 kanals and 16 marlas.
The MAAKSONS Construction Company was awarded the project as it made the lowest bid, he said, adding that the plaza had to accommodate 206 vehicles.
Layout: “Under the revised plan evolved in May with the approval of the Punjab government, the scope of work was broadened to nine storeys with three commercial floors – lower ground, ground floor and the mezzanine floor – and 6 parking floors.
It will now have 91 shops with parking facilities for 350 vehicles. The cost has consequently jumped to Rs 677.47 million,” the official stated.
He said that the plaza would be open for 12 hours every day and its proposed parking ticket was to be Rs 25 per hour.
He said that a back-up power system would also be installed at the plaza, adding that the government would focus on the safety and security of the people. Aamir Chaudhary, MAAKSONS manager, said that the Park and Ride Parking Plaza would be equipped with a high-tech parking system to be imported from Germany and London. Orders for the equipment had been placed, he added.
Aamir said that the ramp for incoming vehicles had been completed whereas the land for the outgoing ramp had yet to be acquired. Talking about the safety design, he said, “The building design includes open stairwells and ramps, security devices such as Road Blockers, Car scanners, CCTV, Public Address System, fire alarm and fire fighting, audio and emergency buttons that are connected to the local police station.
The elimination of potential hiding places such as space under open stairs had also been arranged. Accessibility features for the handicapped have also been provided with the building designed to keep vehicles close to the stairs and elevators,” he added.
