The Indian Express                     10.04.2013

Land too costly, multi-level parking facility scrapped for Khan Market

Visitors and shopkeepers will have to wait some more for parking space in Khan Market as New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has now decided against building an automated multilevel parking lot. The decision has been taken after considering that the two multi-level parking lots are not getting a good response from visitors.

An official said earlier that the project was to make multi-level automated parking, which was rejected unanimously. The official said NDMC is trying to acquire land at a cheaper rate from the Land and Development Office (L&DO).

"We will not make an automated multi-level parking lot because then we will have to give commercial space to a private concessionaire and the cost of acquiring land is too steep. We want to make surface parking space available at Khan Market. This will depend on the financial viability of the project," the official said.

Sources in the council said officials are working hard to get land at a cheaper rate from L&DO. As the parking lot is for public welfare officials believe that they should get land at a nominal price.

"We have to construct the parking lot ourselves, at a cost of crores of rupees. We can make a surface parking lot with minimal cost, but an automated multi-level parking lot will not be made," the official said.

Last year, council officials held a meeting with market association members and it was claimed that Khan Market would get multi-level parking as soon as the L&DO transfers land to NDMC. The council had even finished clearing illegal encroachments that were delaying the project. The traders' association of Khan Market has been demanding parking space for a long time. As of now, parking is free at Khan Market, but there is a shortage of parking space, which causes congestion.