LAHORE: The businessmen of different markets in the provincial capital are facing problems in running their commercial activities due to the lack of proper parking facilities, Pakistan Today has observed.
Due to the rapid increase in the city’s population and consequently traffic within the last few years, not only have the roads become congested, but parking issues, particularly in the commercial areas of the city have risen to a new high as well.
During a survey on Wednesday, it was learnt that most of the major commercial areas of the metropolis have no proper parking spaces due to which people park their vehicles by roadsides and on adjoining streets, which leads to traffic jams.
Several traders of the Shah Alam market, while talking to Pakistan Today demanded the government to construct more parking lots in the area as the already constructed parking plaza (D-Plaza) is not sufficient enough to cater the increasing parking demands. They said that while due to the declining economic situation of the country, a prominent decrease in the number of their customers has already been recorded, the lack of proper parking facilities has also barred many customers from visiting the market.
Mujahid Maqsood Butt, the president of the traders association while speaking to Pakistan Today said that the traders are sufficiently contributing to the national revenue, but the government is reluctant to solve their issues. He said that the Shah Alam market is one of the largest wholesale markets in the country and customers from across the county visit it on a daily basis.
“The market has over 18,000 shops running different wholesale businesses,” he said while adding that although it is the largest market in the city, the government has constructed only one parking plaza in the market.
To curb with the parking issues of the city, Punjab government formed the Lahore Parking Company (LePARK), a subsidiary of the City District Government Lahore (CDGL). Despite being in operation for more than five years, the company has failed to facilitate the people the way it aimed to. According to the officials, the company is operating with around 180 parking lots in the city including 8 parking plazas. They claim that the parking situation in the city is gradually becoming better due to the increasing parking lots, however, the company is unable to construct parking lots in some areas as it requires proper space.
On the other hand, the roads of the city can be seen encroached with illegal parking stands while causing traffic congestions.
An official in the town planning wing of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) admitted that it is the authorities’ responsibility to expand the city in a planned way so that the people do not face such problems. Speaking to Pakistan Today on the condition of anonymity, he said that the planners are untrained.
He further told that the government is set to construct a multistory parking plaza at the Hall Road and has also picked 18 other sites out which 6 will be selected for the construction of parking plazas. He informed that among the places selected for the plazas are the Delhi gate, Neela Gumbad, Lohari gate, Shah Alam gate, Mochi gate, Rang Mehal, Masti gate, Jail Road, Dyal Singh Mansion, Ichhra, Anarkali, Liberty market, Hall Road, Lahore Railway Station, Liberty market, MM Alam Road, Shadman, Model Town Link Road, Victoria Park on the Mall Road and the Naqi Market.
