Authorities keep mum as LePark contractor fleeces citizens

Operations GM confirms the complaints and says matter is being looked into

LAHORE: A Saudi Arabia-based international contractor of the Lahore Parking Company (LePark) has reportedly started fleecing citizens by illegally increasing parking fee by 67%, The Express Tribune learnt on Thursday.

Sources privy to these “malpractices” revealed that the company was receiving 10 to 15 complaints on a daily basis against the contractor AGON, but there were flawed terms of an international agreement and adhocism in LePark.



As per the plan, the company was supposed to award 100 parking sites to AGCN, but due to poor performance and frequent complaints, LePark handed over only 27 parking sites to the contractor.

The former chief executive officer (CEO) of the company, who was sacked by the Punjab chief minister over poor performance, was also aware of these malpractices. For the moment, Lahore Division Commissioner Abdullah Khan Sumbal had the additional charge of LePark chief as the company does not have a permanent head after removal of its CEO, an official said, requesting anonymity.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, LePark General Manager Operations Rehan Waheed Khan confirmed that various complaints were pending against the said contractor. The company had already served two notices to the AGCN management to explain why they were not complying with terms of the agreement.

“Right now, we are not in a position to initiate direct action against an international contractor in the absence of a permanent head. Once the time given in earlier notices lapses, the company will issue a final notice and the initiate the process to terminate the contract,” he said.

“The government has spent millions of rupees from taxpayers’ money to upgrade the parking infrastructure in the city. Electronic handheld units are given to parking operators to curb the menace of overcharging and revenue pilferages, but it has all been in vain as contractors are fleecing citizens in broad daylight,” Muhammad Abbas, a local, said. He was in the middle of a heated exchange with a parking operator near the Passport Office in Garden Town.

Another citizen, Ali Khan, showed a Rs50 computer printed parking ticket issued by an AGCN parking operator. He highlighted that the government has notified Rs30 parking fee for a car, but LePark contractors were charging Rs50 per vehicle which was unjustified. Khan said this put a big question mark over tall claims of good governance.



An AGCN parking operator, who refused to disclose his name, said the company had increased parking fee on the directions a LePark employee. On the other hand, the parking company said it had no employee by the name of the one mentioned.

The Express Tribune also tried to reach AGCN head, Faisal Rao, over the phone and on SMS, but he was not available for comment.

LePark had increased car parking fee by from Rs20 to Rs30 in August last year to over its financial constraints with a promise to improve service delivery. However, frequent complaints showed the company failed to maintain even minimum service delivery standards.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2017.