LPC won’t protect your cars

The Lahore Parking Company (LPC) has recently taken over parking lots from the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) and has, apparently, simultaneously forgotten the whole point of service delivery. As evident from the name, this company was supposed to give people a secure area for parking. The district office, before yielding control to the LPC, was getting entire parking sites managed through private contractors. These private contractors were made to bear the loss in case of vehicular theft. Apparently, the LPC did not fancy the idea of bearing such losses as these would have added a huge deal of responsibility on it.

Surprisingly, the new company, instead of making arrangements for better security measures to protect vehicles in its parking lots, has absolved itself of responsibility, in case of vehicular theft. The token given to drivers when parking reads that the amount is only charged against the use of public land. The fact that cars are not safe in these parking spaces makes you wonder why anyone would want to park in such areas at all. Why not park anywhere alongside the road? The main attraction in a regulated parking lot is the security — one could park without the fear of theft.

Ironically enough, this is not how the LPC had vowed to start. Initially, the company made tall claims regarding security provisions for vehicles in the parking lots. It was after it was handed over the control that it realised the legal ramifications of the responsibility. The LPC has kept its focus on revenue generation. The company is to auction all the parking sites to an international firm — one that will follow suit and not take any responsibility for possible thefts.

How the LPC will be of service to vehicle owners remains a mystery. The use of public land also comes under question when one comes across a parking lot built on a ‘setback’ — the area, defined in government bylaws, as that which is left vacant on all sides of a construction. Legally, the area is not under government ownership. ‘Setback’ in commercial buildings and parking lots were previously meant for public use, which will now apparently be used as pockets to generate revenue.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2013.