LPC fails to rein in private parking contractors

Several complaints persist over illegal parking places and overcharging

LAHORE: Although the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) and Lahore Parking Company (LPC) have shared the responsibility to develop and regulate parking spaces in the provincial capital, both entities miserably failed to control the mushrooming of illegal parking spots in almost all commercial areas.

A number of citizens complained that managements and trade unions of commercial plazas have set up illegal parking stands in front of their malls, especially on Gulberg Main Boulevard, Jail Road and Ferozepur Road. Many of these parking spaces have even been established on roads.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, Muhammad Kabir, a shopper at Hafeez Centre, said all parking contractors near the shopping centre and other commercial plazas were fleecing motorists, but no government department was taking notice of public complaints.

Almost all of these private parking spaces are charging Rs50 an hour for a car and Rs20 to Rs30 for a motorcycle. He pointed out that this was despite the official notified parking rate being capped at Rs30 per spot.

Another local, Sharafat Bhatti, said parking operators in busy commercial areas claimed they were beyond the control of any state institution so they could charge whatever rate they wanted. “These spaces have been established on private property and any motorist is free to park their vehicle elsewhere.”

He also questioned why some LPC spots give computerised receipts while others were still using manual parking tickets. He said all these spaces should be computerised so that motorists could take solace in the fact that their ticket was legal.



Another shopkeeper in Gulberg, Mushtaq Ahmad, held traders unions responsible for the problem. He said parking fee was a major source of revenue for the unions and could not be easily eliminated. Indicating his frustration, Ahmad said instead of supporting the traders’ community, these bodies were busy filling their own pockets.

LPC General Manager Rehan Waheed Khan clarified that his organisation was looking after 37 parking spots through private contractors. At the same time, LPC does conduct regular inspections of private parking spots at complaints from the motorists in case of overcharging.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2017.