Public space: LDA proposes six more parking plazas
To be built on Circular Road, City Railway Station, Model Town Link Road.
LAHORE:
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has proposed six more parking plazas in the city, including four on Circular Road, one of the most congested streets in Lahore, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The other two proposed sites for parking plazas are at the City Railway Station and on Model Town Link Road.
The LDA is currently working on building a parking plaza at Neela Gumbad, though the project appears to have hit delays. Officials of the Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning Agency (TEPA) told the Tribune three weeks ago that tenders for the construction of the plaza would be invited in mid-May, but this has not been done. The reason for the delay is believed to be a shortage of funds, as the authority recently released Rs1.6 billion for the shifting of the fruit and vegetables market at Kot Lakhpat.
The four sites on Circular Road where plazas have been proposed include the historic garden outside Mochi Gate, the site of political meetings for decades. The proposed plaza will be on 10 kanals and include two basements able to hold around 400 vehicles. The project will include rehabilitation of the ground and cost Rs180.5 million.
The second plaza is to be built on six kanals in a ground outside Delhi Gate. It will have two basements able to accommodate some 300 vehicles and will cost Rs110 million.
The third proposed site is an eight-kanal plot outside Shah Alam Gate. The plaza will be able to hold 350 vehicles and cost Rs150 million.
The fourth plaza is to be built on 10 kanals outside Masti gate. The land, currently a garden, will be rehabilitated after the construction of a plaza with two basements that can accommodate 395 vehicles at an estimated cost of Rs180 millions.
The LDA is also planning to start shuttle bus services from these plazas to various markets on Circular Road to encourage commuters to park their cars at the plazas rather than at the markets. All four plazas will be constructed as public private partnerships on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.
The other two parking plazas will be funded by the LDA. The City Railway Station parking plaza will be constructed on 8 kanals and 2 marlas of land currently being used as a taxi stand. The structure will have five storeys, including a basement. It will cost around Rs364 million and be able to accommodate 500 vehicles.
The Model Town Link Road parking plaza will be a 10-storey structure including two basements built over 7 kanals and 15 marlas. It will cost an estimated Rs697 million and be able to accommodate over 1,200 vehicles.
TEPA Director Israr Saeed said the Circular Road plazas will be used purely for parking, while the other two plazas will also have space for commercial activities. He said that the four plazas on Circular Road would be built on a BOT basis while the other plazas would be funded by the LDA.
Saeed said that all the proposed sites were either the property of the LDA or the Parks and Horticulture Authority. Pakistan Railways has agreed to allow the construction of the parking plaza on its land after negotiations, he said.
Asked when work on these sites might start, Saeed said once construction of the Neela Gumbad parking plaza begins, they would decide when to start work on the other plazas.
Feasibility studies for the six proposed plazas are underway, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2011.
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has proposed six more parking plazas in the city, including four on Circular Road, one of the most congested streets in Lahore, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The other two proposed sites for parking plazas are at the City Railway Station and on Model Town Link Road.
The LDA is currently working on building a parking plaza at Neela Gumbad, though the project appears to have hit delays. Officials of the Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning Agency (TEPA) told the Tribune three weeks ago that tenders for the construction of the plaza would be invited in mid-May, but this has not been done. The reason for the delay is believed to be a shortage of funds, as the authority recently released Rs1.6 billion for the shifting of the fruit and vegetables market at Kot Lakhpat.
The four sites on Circular Road where plazas have been proposed include the historic garden outside Mochi Gate, the site of political meetings for decades. The proposed plaza will be on 10 kanals and include two basements able to hold around 400 vehicles. The project will include rehabilitation of the ground and cost Rs180.5 million.
The second plaza is to be built on six kanals in a ground outside Delhi Gate. It will have two basements able to accommodate some 300 vehicles and will cost Rs110 million.
The third proposed site is an eight-kanal plot outside Shah Alam Gate. The plaza will be able to hold 350 vehicles and cost Rs150 million.
The fourth plaza is to be built on 10 kanals outside Masti gate. The land, currently a garden, will be rehabilitated after the construction of a plaza with two basements that can accommodate 395 vehicles at an estimated cost of Rs180 millions.
The LDA is also planning to start shuttle bus services from these plazas to various markets on Circular Road to encourage commuters to park their cars at the plazas rather than at the markets. All four plazas will be constructed as public private partnerships on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.
The other two parking plazas will be funded by the LDA. The City Railway Station parking plaza will be constructed on 8 kanals and 2 marlas of land currently being used as a taxi stand. The structure will have five storeys, including a basement. It will cost around Rs364 million and be able to accommodate 500 vehicles.
The Model Town Link Road parking plaza will be a 10-storey structure including two basements built over 7 kanals and 15 marlas. It will cost an estimated Rs697 million and be able to accommodate over 1,200 vehicles.
TEPA Director Israr Saeed said the Circular Road plazas will be used purely for parking, while the other two plazas will also have space for commercial activities. He said that the four plazas on Circular Road would be built on a BOT basis while the other plazas would be funded by the LDA.
Saeed said that all the proposed sites were either the property of the LDA or the Parks and Horticulture Authority. Pakistan Railways has agreed to allow the construction of the parking plaza on its land after negotiations, he said.
Asked when work on these sites might start, Saeed said once construction of the Neela Gumbad parking plaza begins, they would decide when to start work on the other plazas.
Feasibility studies for the six proposed plazas are underway, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2011.