Hyderabad, June 14: The number of vehicles plying on city roads increases every day, far outstripping the number of parking spaces that are required. Greater Hyderabad is short of hundreds of parking lots making street parking the only option.

The GHMC and traffic police have jointly identified 160-odd paid parking lots in the city. But a city like Greater Hyderabad with over 22 lakh vehicles requires more than 1,000 parking lots. Space meant for parking in commercial complexes and other business establishments has been turned into shops and is being used for all types of activity except the one for which it was intended.

Due to lack of parking lots, people park their vehicles on either side of the road, causing obstruction to the free movement of traffic.

The police impose fines for parking on the road, but since no parking is provided by establishments such as banks, ATM centres etc, people have no option but to park wherever they can. No rules have been framed to make it mandatory for all structures, commercial or residential, to compulsorily provide parking space within their premises.

Towing away illegally parked vehicles has had little impact because people have no alternative.

Five years ago, the GHMC planned to construct multi-level parking complexes. It proposed to convert municipal markets located in the heart of the city into parking lots. Nothing has come of this proposal.

The additional commissioner of police (traffic), Mr C.V. Anand, says the GHMC and traffic police are working in co-ordination to identify parking space and have already given approval for nearly 150 parking lots at various places in the city.

The most sensible solution comes from a senior transport department official. Only providing parking lots won’t solve the issue, “We require a mass public transport system and a policy to discourage use of personal vehicles at specified times, probably during peak traffic hours.”

Most big cities in developed and some developing countries have recognised that cheap, efficient mass public transport systems are the only way to counter huge car populations.