Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has flagged 20 plots for development into parking hubs situated close to metro stations in Pune, officials announced on Wednesday. PMC reportedly plans to execute this project independently rather than handing over the land to the Pune Metro.
Parking Crunch Spurs Action
As Pune Metro expands its operations across its two lines, one from Pimpri Chinchwad to Swargate and the other from Vanaz to Ramwadi, the scarcity of parking space can be noticed by commuters. As further expansions of the metro are in progress of being built or approved, experts question how many people will use it if they don't provide parking spaces for vehicles.
Currently, only a handful of stations offer parking. Even those are undersized. Meanwhile, the feeder bus service operated by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) is yet to be rolled out in full-fledged functionality. This results in commuters parking on roadsides and contributing to the increasing traffic congestion problem in the city.
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A Pune Metro official observed that many potential riders are deterred by the “first-mile / last-mile” challenge. Without parking or smooth transit to stations, they revert to using personal vehicles.
PMC’s Proposal: Own, Develop & Benefit
Rather than transferring land to Pune Metro, PMC intends to retain ownership and build parking facilities itself. This would allow PMC to control operations and derive ongoing revenue from the infrastructure.
PMC’s chief engineer, Dinkar Gojare, confirmed that PMC has shortlisted 20 plots for this purpose. The list includes properties along key stations of the Pune Metro. Seven of these are on Jangali Maharaj Road (JM Road), five on Nagar Road, and three on Karve Road.
The same strategy is being eyed for the upcoming Line 3 (Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar). The line is expected to be operational by March 2026.
Selected Sites For Parking Development
Some of the identified locations include Old Octroi Naka in Bopodi, Parvati, Kothrud (including Mayur Colony), Erandwane, four plots in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Garden (JM Road), three plots at the Balgandharva premises, PMC’s LBT office, the area behind PMC’s main building, Ramabai Ambedkarnagar, two plots in Mahatma Gandhi Garden, Bund Garden, Yerawada, and Zashichi Raani in Sadashiv Peth.
