New management: Saudi firm to overhaul parking system

98 parking lots to be handed over by July 15.

LAHORE:

A Saudi company will start work on improving the condition of 32 parking lots in the city by June 10, Lahore Parking Company General Manager (Revenue) Faizan Wali has said.

Wali said the company wanted to improve the parking system with the help of Advanced Global Communication Networks (AGCN).

He told The Express Tribune the Saudi firm would be given control of 32 parking lots by July 15; another 66 sites would be handed over by July 15.

AGCN Deputy CEO Nauman Saeed said the company would start civil works at 32 parking lots by June 10. He said it would also train the staff deputed there.

Saeed said a real-time monitoring system would be introduced and cameras installed at the parking lots to check vehicle theft.

He said the company staff would take pictures of number plates before issuing a receipt to vehicle owners.

The city government had undertaken a similar exercise at Neela Gumbad, Town Hall and Liberty in 2011 but abandoned the project after glitches were reported in the cameras used for taking the pictures. Citizens had also complained that the process was time consuming.

Saeed said they would deploy additional staff to avoid wasting time of drivers.

“A rapid response team will be set up to address problems faced by parking staff.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2014.