Pune Civic Body Moves To Revive ‘Pay & Park’ Scheme On Laxmi Road & Airport Road

Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has moved a step closer to implementing the long-pending ‘Pay and Park’ scheme on Laxmi Road and Airport Road, officials announced on Monday. The scheme aims to curb illegal and undisciplined parking, which has been a major cause of traffic congestion in the city.

A proposal to implement the scheme has been submitted to the Standing Committee for approval. The proposal will be taken up at the upcoming meeting on Thursday. If approved, it will be placed before the general body meeting on the 18th August for final approval.

Pune Faces Continuous Traffic Congestion…

The move comes as the city continues to face traffic congestion due to narrow roads and a growing number of vehicles. In the absence of a proper parking policy, vehicles are often parked along roads and in places where parking is not permitted.

The PMC and Pune traffic police have been working together to improve traffic movement and bring greater discipline to roads. As part of these efforts, the civic administration has been working to remove encroachments from major roads and junctions.

Previous Plans…

The civic administration had earlier planned to introduce ‘Pay and Park’ on six roads on an experimental basis. The roads identified were Jangali Maharaj Road, Gokhale Road, Laxmi Road, Bibvewadi Road, Balewadi High Street and Viman Nagar Road.

Tenders were invited for the project. Contractors submitted tenders for only three roads — Jangali Maharaj Road, Gokhale Road and Viman Nagar Road. A single contractor submitted a tender for each of these three roads.

However, no tenders were received for Laxmi Road, Balewadi High Street and Bibwewadi Road. The administration then issued re-tenders for the scheme.

A tender worth Rs 2,92,61,904 was issued for the project. A tender was eventually received at a lower cost of Rs 1,77,35,640. The Project Department has now submitted the tender to the Standing Committee for approval.

The first phase is proposed for implementation on Laxmi Road, one of Pune’s major shopping and market areas. The road witnesses heavy movement of shoppers, shopkeepers, employees, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles.

Parking Issues On Laxmi Road…

According to the civic administration, shopkeepers and their employees often park their vehicles along Laxmi Road. This leaves little space for customers to park their vehicles.

The problem is also caused by four-wheeler drivers and auto-rickshaw drivers who stop their vehicles on the road and remain inside them. Such vehicles occupy road space and obstruct the movement of other vehicles.

Under the proposed ‘Pay and Park’ system, motorists will have to pay a fee to park their vehicles in designated areas. The civic administration expects the system to discourage people from leaving vehicles on roads unnecessarily.

The scheme was first approved by the PMC general body eight years ago. In 2018, during the previous term when the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power in the civic body, the general body decided to introduce ‘No Parking, No Halting’ restrictions on five major roads.

Other Areas Under Consideration…

It had also decided to introduce ‘Pay and Park’ in certain limited areas. The resolution was subsequently sent to the state government. However, no decision was taken by the state government on the proposal.

The civic administration has now taken the view that the general body had already approved the proposal and has moved ahead with its implementation.

The PMC hopes that the scheme will help reduce traffic congestion caused by vehicles parked indiscriminately on busy roads. It also expects the system to bring greater discipline to parking and improve the movement of traffic on major roads.

If the tender receives approval from the Standing Committee and the general body, the scheme will be implemented in phases, beginning with Laxmi Road on an experimental basis.