SHIMLA: A ₹2-crore parking facility in Kagnadhar, Ward No. 30, has come under criticism from residents who say faulty planning and inadequate space have made it difficult and unsafe to park and take out vehicles.
Residents raised the issue with Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sachin Kanwal, who visited the ward on Friday and reviewed the parking and other civic issues.
The residents, particularly those allotted parking slots, complained that vehicles cannot be manoeuvred conveniently on the first and second floors because of the positioning of pillars and iron bars.
The parking facility was constructed by HIMUDA with funds provided by the Urban Development Department following an initiative of the Shimla Municipal Corporation led by local councillor Ram Ratan Verma.
However, residents contend that the facility, despite costing around ₹2 crore and having capacity for more than 50 vehicles, has serious design and usability shortcomings.
Residents questioned how a newly constructed parking facility could be designed in a manner that makes it difficult for vehicle owners to safely enter, park and take out their cars. They said the problem reflected inadequate planning at the execution stage and demanded immediate remedial measures.
The Commissioner took note of the complaints and assured residents that the corporation would examine the problems.
He also said the matter would be taken up with HIMUDA to explore whether some of the obstructing iron bars could be removed or other modifications made to improve vehicle movement inside the parking facility.
However, the parking problem is much larger than the shortcomings of the existing facility. A sizeable number of residents have not been allotted parking slots, forcing many to park their vehicles along their houses and on the roadside.
Councillor Ram Ratan Verma said all residents of the ward deserved access to adequate parking facilities and that additional parking sites should be explored.
He said he had already taken up the issue with the Commissioner and would continue pursuing the matter.
Verma said the MC could create more parking facilities if suitable land was made available. The existing parking facility is being operated by the Municipal Corporation.
Residents also pointed out a peculiar traffic problem in the ward. The road towards Lower Kagnadhar in Sector 6 has no exit, meaning vehicles entering the area have to return through the same route.
This becomes particularly problematic during rush hours and adds to congestion. But scale of problem is not acute.
Although the traffic pressure is not constant throughout the day, residents said the lack of adequate parking and the absence of an alternative exit route creates avoidable inconvenience and safety concerns during peak hours.
The Commissioner also reviewed sanitation and other civic facilities in the ward and appreciated the work being undertaken by the councillor and MC staff.
Residents, however, made it clear that better sanitation alone cannot resolve the ward's growing infrastructure pressure.
They demanded that the corporation identify additional land and develop more parking spaces so that every household has a safe place to park its vehicle.
The immediate challenge, residents said, is to make the existing ₹2-crore parking facility actually usable while simultaneously planning additional parking infrastructure.
A parking facility that leaves car owners struggling to enter or exit their allotted spaces defeats the very purpose for which it was constructed.
SMC has promised solution but when only HIMUDA and SMC authorities would know and are to decide the timeline.
