CDA plans parking plaza

Parking space identified as main issue in shopping areas

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Development Authority (CDAI is in the process of identifying location for building a multi-storey parking plaza, chairman of the authority said.

The apex development agency and the top representative body of the traders of the capital on Monday went about checking the missing facilities at the city’s markets.

Lack of development and maintenance has marred the look of commercial areas in the federal capital. People coming to shopping hubs are found complaining about heaps of garbage, broken sidewalks, and encroachment on footpaths besides hordes of beggars.

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, along with Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed visited the two major business centres of Islamabad including Blue Area and F-10 Markaz to assess the needs of development work in markets and take remedial measures to address the issues traders and the people who go there for shopping.

Ilyas and Ahmed inspected various areas of these two markets to see the situation of infrastructure and interacted with the traders to know about the requirements of development works.

They identified many issues, including need for carpeting of roads, repair of footpaths, putting lids on manholes of gutters, restoration of streetlights, trimmings of trees, removal of encroachments and repair of broken fences to beautify markets and uplift their image.

Speaking at the occasion, Ilyas said that lack of parking facility was a major issue of the traders of markets including Blue Area and F-10 Markaz and said that CDA should arrange early auction of plots for parking so that parking space could be built and run on BOT basis, which will generate revenue for CDA and help in resolving parking issues for business community.

He also informed the traders of these markets that ICCI was in close liaison with CDA to work jointly for the better development of markets and commercial areas in Islamabad and assured them that CDA would accelerate efforts to resolve major issues of the trading community in order to facilitate them in promoting business activities.

He said that ICCI in collaboration with Presidents of Trade Associations of respective markets would form a Mediation Committee that would work with traders and CDA for removal of encroachments from markets.

Addressing the traders of Blue Area and F-10 Markaz, CDA chairman said that the civic body has decided to upgrade the basic infrastructure in markets. He said that CDA has already started the process of carpeting roads, repair of footpaths, restoration of streetlights, improving sewerage and sanitation systems.

Ahmed said CDA was in the process of identifying plots in markets for construction of multi storey parking. He said that many development works were in progress and traders would see more improvement in coming days. He assured that he would continue to work with ICCI for addressing development issues of all major markets so that business activities could flourish in the federal capital.

ICCI President and CDA Chairman have set a new trend by conducting visits of markets by taking the trade associations on board. This was the third joint visit of President ICCI and Chairman CDA to inspect the on-ground situation of markets for early resolution of traders issues.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2021.