Multi-level parking at Delhi Metro stations

New Delhi: Metro stations in the capital will soon have multi-level parking (MLP), giving a sigh of relief to thousands of commuters, facing parking issues in the vicinity. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is considering the idea to provide high tech amenities on the line of parking lots to address the problem.

"Presently, DMRC has MLP at five stations in the beginning and will be extended to other stations later on. The rail corporation has identified Rajouri Garden Metro Station (Line –3), Pitampura Metro Station under construction (Line –1), Janakpuri West Metro Station (Line –1), Rohini West Metro Station (Line – 1) and New Delhi Railway Station (Airport Line) and in certain future Kanhaiya Nagar may join the list," said a DMRC official.

Moreover,"The pilot project will be implemented at six stations in the beginning and will be extended to other stations later on. Part of the MCD and DMRC's Public Private Partnership (PPP), the proposal comes close on the heels of directions issued by Lt Governor Anil Baijal to the civic body to construct more parking space for Metro passengers," source informed.

"In the proposal mooted by the DMRC, Mundka-Indralok and Rithala-Dilshad Garden routes will be the first to have multi-level parkings. The Metro rail corporation has identified six stations on these lines which include Mundka, Udyog Nagar, Nangloi, Pratap Nagar, Punjabi Bagh and Madipur. Nangloi metro station will have the biggest parking lot while the smallest will be built at Punjabi Bagh station," source said.

"The multi-level parking will come equipped with high-tech features, a first for the Delhi Metro. Parking charges will be paid either using a smart card or tokens and the system of parking slips will be completely done away with.

However, official said that: "Smart card can be used but it depends on the infrastructure selected during the construction of the MLP structure. In spite the fact, till date no multilevel parking is using this technology."

As part of the PPP programme, the MCD will not be spending any money from its kitty. Instead, the company that bids for construction will be given the task to run the facility for next 50 years. The DMRC has around 100 parking lots across seven lines including the Airport line that facilitates parking for two and four wheelers at a nominal cost, source said.