Motorbikes to get space in Fawara Chowk Parking Plaza

Separate stand will offer electronic gates at entry exit points, CCTV monitoring

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Development Authority [RDA] has decided to set up a motorbike parking stand in Fawara Chowk Parking Plaza to relieve the citizens from heavy traffic congestions in wholesale markets of Raja Bazar and Bara Bazar, wholesale markets and all ten commercial centres around the Fawara Chowk.

The motorcycle parking plaza would be equipped with electronic gates at entrance and exit points while CCTV systems would also be installed for monitoring security of the plaza.

The plaza is expected to generate daily revenues of thousands of rupees for RDA. The administration has started to make arrangements for installation of electronic barriers for the parking stand. The plaza is expected to become functional by the end of this month.

More parking plazas planned

RDA has planned to construct 10 parking plazas in the city to resolve the issue of car parking faced by citizens, RDA Chairman Arif Abbasi said.

“The parking plazas will be built under public private partnership on models similar to parking on Jail Road Lahore,” he said talking to Daily Express.

Two parking plazas each will be constructed at Raja Bazar and Commercial Market while Committee Chowk, College Road, Saidpur Road, Marir Chowk, Iqbal Road and Circular Road will have one parking tower each.

The provincial government has asked RDA to identify land for the parking plazas at the designated locations.

According to Abbasi, the authorities have started consulting sound construction firms and investors.

The multi-storeyed parking towers will be built on plots sized between one to two kanals, he said, adding that investors who fund the towers will be allowed to collect parking fees for 10 years and only 10 to 15 per cent of the revenue would be held by RDA.

However, after 10 years, the parking towers would come under full ownership of RDA.

The land will be allotted by the government while investment for building structures will come under public private partnership scheme. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2018.