Bhopal: Authorities concerned with extending parking facilities to the public including urban development authority directorate, civic body and regional transport office (RTO) themselves do not have parking lots in their facilities for visitors.
Directorate of Urban development located in Shivaji Nagar. There is parking inside the campus but it is only for officials and staff members. Visitors have not space to park the vehicles. Consequently, the visitors park their vehicles on both side of car upto Shivaji Nagar market. Traffic problems are being witnessed near different markets including- 7-no market toward RTO; Shivaji Nagar’s UAD directorate to Shivaji Nagar Market; BMC Mata Mandir office.
Those visiting their centres, which witness huge footfall, have no option but to park their vehicles on the roadside or even on roads. This leaves no room for commuters to negotiate the traffic hassle free. In fact, middle of roads is main space is left for core commuters.
At RTO office and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) premises too, the scene is not different. Visitors face the same problem of vehicles parking. BJP state office is located in the vicinity of RTO. So visitors of area do not get sufficient space to park their vehicles. They have to park their vehicles on road side. At BMC office, Mata Mandir, entire parking lot is full with staff vehicles and local businessmen vehicles. Visitors have to move from one corner to other to find the parking space. They have to enter in Harshvardhan Nagar for parking.
There is a big parking space inside RTO. However huge footfall of vehicles which turn up for registration renders the space insufficient for parking. Besides, paid parking has been developed at Mansarover Complex but all arrangement failed to cope up pressure. This led to haphazard parking at 7-No market to RTO office.
Commuters on the roads leading to market also face frequent traffic jams. Earlier BMC has arranged ‘temporary parking spaces’ for maintaining traffic flow near busy market, providing relief to the shoppers. However, these arrangements are not enough. Moreover the problem is compounded by the the attitude of traders to park their vehicles in temporary parking spaces. ASP traffic Mayank Jain said, “Discussion at top level is on for parking lots of entire state capital. Blue print on the basis of the proposals is being prepared. Soon, we will get results.”
