Gariahat flyover parking free till new agency hired
Times of India | 13 July 2024
Kolkata: After a prod from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), the Southeast Traffic Guard has turned the parking lot under Gariahat flyover a free one till the KMC completes the tender process and hands it over to an agency.
MMiC Debashis Kumar said till a new agency is appointed, we have asked cops to make parking free.
The previous agency had surrendered the allotment of the parking lot under the flyover since it was “not viable”.KMC had thereafter tried to rope in another agency but has been unable to do so yet.
A Lalbazar officer said, “We cannot let motorists suffer due to the delay and miscommunication. We had no control on persons collecting the parking fee here and there have been instances when extra money was charged. We even carried out an arrest in this regard. Since we could not hold anyone liable, we have decided to monitor the parking by ourselves and not to allow anyone to collect any parking charges. We have put up free-parking boards in an area under the flyover that can accommodate 55-60 vehicles. We have informed KMC about the changes.”
“We have sent the area photograph, including the possibility of the choking of internal roads during puja, to the KMC borough office and headquarters and requested them to immediately appoint parking attendants under the flyover,” said an officer.
Tollygunge resident Sumanta Das, who had come to Gariahat for shopping, said: “I hope this forces KMC to act. Till then, motorists can enjoy the free parking.”
Kolkata traffic cops had earlier written to KMC to solve the Gariahat-Deshapriya Park parking issues, asking the civic body to float tenders in at least three spots — the space below Gariahat flyover, at Hindustan Park and on Lake Road — where the parking fee collection contracts have expired. This is the third time in as many months that police have made this appeal.
Cops said they wanted agencies to be accountable so that they know the identity of parking attendants.
Sources in Southeast Traffic Guard, Gariahat PS and Lake PS said they have so far arrested three persons for trying to extort money through parking in the past three months. “While two of them were arrested from under Gariahat flyover, the third was nabbed from Monoharpukur,” said a senior officer.