City to be rid of 1,000 illegal parking lots
The Lahore Parking Company (LPC) is facing an uphill task of eliminating more than 1,000 illegal parking stands across the city as per orders of the high court.
It is suspected that a large number of parking stands are illegally operating in the city because of negligence or connivance of the government officials concerned, causing an annual loss of millions of rupees to the exchequer.
Despite an increase in the population, inflation as well as parking fees, the income of the Lahore Parking Company has decreased during the past 12 years.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, an official said that inquiries into fake receipts and embezzlement of millions of rupees had only resulted in action against junior employees so far, while senior officers escaped accountability.
The number of authorised parking stands in the city is lower than those operating illegally. The Lahore Parking Company had been set up in 2011 by taking over the control over the stands from the metropolitan corporation.
The purpose of establishing the company was to manage the issues related to parking in a modern manner.
Under the initiative, uniformed staff was to be deployed at the parking stands, the fees were to be charged digitally based on the time period of using the facility. Under the plan, the vehicles were to be parked in queues to avoid traffic problems.
As per official record, there were 244 parking stands in the city in 2011 and the annual income from them was less than Rs670,000, which was increasing by over 10 per cent every year. The parking fee for a motorcycle was Rs5 and for a car Rs10. However, after the formation of the company, the motorcycle parking fee was fixed at Rs20 and car Rs30. However, up to Rs50 is being charged for parking at the stands in various parts of the provincial capital.
According to the parking company, the total number of its stands has reduced to 180 and the daily income collected from them has dropped drastically.
A recent survey has revealed that more than 1,000 illegal parking stands are operating in different areas of Lahore.
The Lahore High Court has issued orders to remove the illegal parking stands immediately. However, most of the illegal parking stands set up on roads across the city are run by influential people allegedly in connivance with some officials of the local body administration, parking company, traffic and police stations.
The parking fees being charged at the illegal stands is higher than the rates fixed by the government.
Residents complain that traders’ organisations are also running parking stands in plazas. Similarly, there are parking stands outside the courts.
In addition, stands have been set up on private plots, while some government departments have also set up their own parking stands.
A number of parking stands are being operated illegally on the Circular Road, Hall Road, Mall Road, Jail Road, Gulberg, Liberty, Ferozepur Road, Garden Town, Wahdat Road, Iqbal Town and several other thoroughfares in addition to hospitals.
Lahore Parking Company Chief Executive Officer Bilal Feroze Joya said the organisation’s aim was to provide facilities to the citizens along with earning income.
He said the orders of the high court to remove the illegal parking stands would be implemented.
He said preparations were also under way to involve the private sector in the parking system.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2023.