Long-awaited: Raja Bazaar parking plaza contracted for Rs15.6m

The plaza is expected to be a good source of income for the cash-starved RDA.

RAWALPINDI:

Contracts for the newly constructed parking plaza at Raja Bazaar were auctioned for a total of Rs15.6 million by the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Saturday.

Seventeen firms took part in the auction which was supervised by RDA Director Administration Malik Shahzad Sultan. The parking plaza was auctioned to the highest bidders under four categories: parking area for public transport, parking for private vehicles, billboards around the plaza and its canteen.

In the first category, RDA awarded the contract for collection of parking fares from public transporters for Rs7 million to Haji Abdul Qadeer. As per terms, the contractor will charge Rs20 from every public transport vehicle for a single trip.

In the second category, the civic body awarded the contract for collection of parking fares from private vehicles to Raja Farooq Ahmed and Company for Rs5.75 million. The contractor will charge Rs20 from private vehicles for a two-hour stay.

Similarly, in the third category Margalla and Company was awarded the contract for collection of revenue from billboards for Rs2.5 million per annum. The parking plaza canteen was auctioned for Rs258,000 to Nawaz Ali Bhatti.

Built at a cost of Rs180 million in the congested Raja Bazaar, the parking plaza is expected to be a good source of income for the cash-starved civic authority. The plaza is built to house around 600 vehicles at a time and ease the flow of traffic on congested roads leading to some of the city’s oldest markets.

Given the increasing traffic congestion in and around Raja Bazaar, the parking plaza had been a long-time demand of the public. The civic authority was expected to complete the project in May but it was delayed due to increase in the construction cost.

Earlier, RDA auctioned the public transport stand in the area for Rs3.9 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2011.