Traffic woes continue as parking plans delayed

11 October, 2018

THANE: Motorists will have to continue enduring vehicular traffic menace in city as the corporation has apparently frozen its two vital projects – the Modella parking lot and roadside parking policy- in Thane that could ease vehicular movement.

The administration had approved the projects keeping in mind the massive parking of vehicles on roads which was causing traffic congestion on the streets. As per information sourced from officials, both the projects could have easily taken off the load off the menace of parked vehicles off arterial roads in Thane especially the old city area.

The roadside parking policy involved developing nearly 9,000 parking spaces for all types of vehicles on several streets in the city based on their density and proximity to popular places. The systematized facility entailed the roads would be cleared off the illegal parking menace at the same time ensure decent revenue for the corporation. The project that was unanimously okayed in 2015 was revised thrice and is presently frozen as there were no takers for it since tenders were floated in the recent past.

The public works department said the parking project has been frozen temporarily till a fresh tender would be released following some changes in the project. “The earlier attempts to develop a digital parking facility got no response. We may analyze the proposal and reframe it but the schedule is not fixed yet,” said an official from the PWD. -

Meanwhile, another project approved in 2016 entailed construction of a parking facility spread over 17,210sqm at the Modella company premises is also awaiting progress since its inception. The plan was to develop a parking facility that could take the bulk of trucks and small vehicles including buses off the roads that are otherwise parked on roads in the Wagle estate area and LBS road. The said land was yet to be acquired and handed over to the corporation due to which uncertainty looms large over its fate.

An official from the town planning department said the project was stalled because the developer apparently wants to develop the facility under accommodation reservation but the same is likely to take some more time.

Meanwhile, residents and activists have blamed the administration for failing to come up with a solution to the growing menace of parking on streets.

BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar who wrote to the chief minister last year has blamed the administration for failing to work out a solution in time. “It has been a long time that the city is facing traffic problems without any solitions. The administration must look into providing solid solutions at the fastest possible time before the situation worsens over the time. It is a pity the corporation cannot formulate tge parking plans hanging in limbo since the last several years,” said MLA Kelkar.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com