3 multilevel parking lots to start, existing ones in doldrums

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is planning to begin operations at three of its new multilevel parking lots over the next month at Gandhi Maidan (Chandni Chowk), Amar Colony (Lajpat Nagar) and Nigambodh Ghat -- according to officials aware of the matter.

- Paras Singh

However, the utilisation of several other such parking facilities developed by civic bodies in the last decade has been low for varied reasons - damaged public perception due to poor maintenance, time taken to park a single vehicle, design flaws, narrow lanes that cannot accommodate wide cars, and the distance of the facilities from markets.

The largest of the three new parking sites at Gandhi Maidan is complete and all permissions have been secured, the officials said. "The operators are expected to start the trial run at Chandni Chowk on Monday. It is ready for commissioning. The trial will help us find out if there are any initial glitches or modifications required," an MCD official said, adding that it will add space for 2,338 cars in the congested area.

The second multilevel parking in the pipeline at Nigambodh Ghat the largest cremation facility in the city - can accommodate 95 cars. The MCD official quoted above said the civic body was to commission the parking in July but it was damaged due to the floods. "The damaged motors of the parking are being repaired and we are aiming to make it operational by December end," the official added. The third automated parking lot nearing completion at Amar Colony can accommodate 81 cars, and the deadline for commissioning of the project is the first week of January 2024.