Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Less space for parking at city hospitals forces people to park their vehicles outside the hospital. As a result, about 40 per cent of the roads along those hospitals turn into parking space, which often caused traffic jams. The situation worsens during peak hours when people leave for work in the morning and return home in the evening.
Such sights are common at Hamidia Hospital, National Hospital, Bansal Hospital and Ajwani Eye Care Centre to name a few. Among them, traffic jam is worse along Bansal Hospital where the road available for vehicular flow has become narrow. After the hospital has been revamped, there is less or almost no parking space for visitors there.
Commuters on the slanted road in front of the hospital, who are driving down the slope or driving up the slope, often have to face gridlocks whenever vehicles come out of hospital. The situation gets worse whenever city buses pass through the route and visitors’ vehicles are parked on roadside.
According to Bhopal traffic police, 7,000 commuters who take the route daily face this inconvenience. There is similar chock-a-block at National Hospital. In the evening, the road appears full of people returning from offices or other places.
Bhopal traffic police have launched a Helpline number to report complaints pertaining to no parking or unauthorised parking. But very less action is seen in areas close to hospitals where unauthorised parking on roadsides is rampants.
BMC responsible: ACP
When contacted, Assistant Commissioner of Police of Zone-2 (traffic) Madhur Chowkikar said Bhopal Municipal Corporation provided parking space in most hospitals. “BMC is at fault if the traffic gridlocks persist in the city. Drive to keep unauthorised parking in check is conducted regularly by Bhopal traffic police,” he added.
