Metro Watch: Parking for public vehicles
12 July 2012 12:59 AM GMT
The authorised Metro parkings are meant to provide facilities for commuters. Shastri Park Metro station, however, is a place where public transport vehicles such as auto-rickshaws, Gramin Seva vans, RTV and rickshaws, gets parked.
Spread over an area of about 4349.64 sq feet, Shastri Park station parking can house about 200 cars and 400 two-wheelers at a time. In a day on an average, around 800 vehicles get parked there. When Millennium Post reached the parking slot, about one-third of the area was occupied by public transport vehicles.
When the reporter asked the parking guards the reason for permitting public transport vehicles to get parked, one of them casually replied, ‘We are here to earn money, not to barricade public transport vehicles. To get their vehicles parked, the drivers of these vehicles pay us the same amount as meant for cars. So why would we stop them?’
In the night, especially, the situation turned even more bizarre. When Millennium Post reached the spot, the authorised Metro parking had turned completely into a public transport depot. Also, the local rickshaw pullers were parking their rickshaws in the area. ‘We pay once in a month and get a secure parking space,’ said Pappan, a rickshaw-puller.
The commuters, on the other hand, have to fight for a little bit of space on an every day basis as haphazardly parked autos take up most of the space.
‘Sometimes we don’t get space to park our cars just because some RTV, autos or Gramin Seva vans are already parked in the space allotted for us,’ said Rohit Sharma, a resident of Gandhi Nagar.
Sharma is a teacher in a private institute located at Netaji Subhash Place area in Pitampura. ‘I believe in using the public transport as much as I can. That is why, I prefer using the Metro service. But the issue of parking my car at the Metro station is really irritating. When I return, I find it difficult to take out my car because either a RTV or an auto-rickshaw is parked near my car. Then I have to take the help of a parking guard,’ added Sharma.
Ashok Kumar, a Gramin Seva driver, said he often parks his vehicle in the parking of Shastri Park Metro station.
‘To keep my vehicle safe, it is best to park it in the authorised area. There is no rule that only Metro users can park their vehicle at the premises,’ he said.
DMRC REACTS
Read first report here.
Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal reacted on Millennium Post reports regarding the situation of parkings at Metro station. ‘It was shocking to know that couples are misusing the parking at Karkardooma Metro station. Action will be taken against the parking guards who are permitting these activities,’ said Dayal. ‘It is time we inspect the parking slots and take immediate action, against offenders,’ he added. On the issue of public transport parking at Shastri Park, he said, ‘We would definitely take action.’
Spread over an area of about 4349.64 sq feet, Shastri Park station parking can house about 200 cars and 400 two-wheelers at a time. In a day on an average, around 800 vehicles get parked there. When Millennium Post reached the parking slot, about one-third of the area was occupied by public transport vehicles.
When the reporter asked the parking guards the reason for permitting public transport vehicles to get parked, one of them casually replied, ‘We are here to earn money, not to barricade public transport vehicles. To get their vehicles parked, the drivers of these vehicles pay us the same amount as meant for cars. So why would we stop them?’
In the night, especially, the situation turned even more bizarre. When Millennium Post reached the spot, the authorised Metro parking had turned completely into a public transport depot. Also, the local rickshaw pullers were parking their rickshaws in the area. ‘We pay once in a month and get a secure parking space,’ said Pappan, a rickshaw-puller.
The commuters, on the other hand, have to fight for a little bit of space on an every day basis as haphazardly parked autos take up most of the space.
‘Sometimes we don’t get space to park our cars just because some RTV, autos or Gramin Seva vans are already parked in the space allotted for us,’ said Rohit Sharma, a resident of Gandhi Nagar.
Sharma is a teacher in a private institute located at Netaji Subhash Place area in Pitampura. ‘I believe in using the public transport as much as I can. That is why, I prefer using the Metro service. But the issue of parking my car at the Metro station is really irritating. When I return, I find it difficult to take out my car because either a RTV or an auto-rickshaw is parked near my car. Then I have to take the help of a parking guard,’ added Sharma.
Ashok Kumar, a Gramin Seva driver, said he often parks his vehicle in the parking of Shastri Park Metro station.
‘To keep my vehicle safe, it is best to park it in the authorised area. There is no rule that only Metro users can park their vehicle at the premises,’ he said.
DMRC REACTS
Read first report here.
Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal reacted on Millennium Post reports regarding the situation of parkings at Metro station. ‘It was shocking to know that couples are misusing the parking at Karkardooma Metro station. Action will be taken against the parking guards who are permitting these activities,’ said Dayal. ‘It is time we inspect the parking slots and take immediate action, against offenders,’ he added. On the issue of public transport parking at Shastri Park, he said, ‘We would definitely take action.’
Next Story
