The Times of India                   04.03.2013

Jaipur Development Authority plans extension of Ramniwas Bagh underground parking to accommodate 2,500 cars

JAIPUR: The Jaipur
Development Authority (JDA) is planning to connect three nearby markets
of the city to the Ramniwas Bagh parking by constructing subways.

The move came after directions were made by the empowered committee constituted to develop Jaipur as a world-class city.

“Directions have also been made to propose shops in the subways for
auction on either side as this will ensure safety and upkeep the
maintenance,” a senior official said.

Initially, it is proposed
that the subways will be constructed at Sanganeri Gate, Ajmeri Gate and
Chaura Rasta after the parking is extended. An official also explained
the state government may also launch phase II of RamniwasBagh parking
soon by extending the area to accommodate nearly 1,500 more cars. If
implemented, the project is set to become the country’s largest
underground parking with space for 2,500 cars.

The current
parking capacity of Ramniwas Bagh is 950 cars. “At present only 500
Walled City residents and shopkeepers can permanently park their
four-wheeler vehicles, whereas, the number of vehicles coming to the
city is more than two thousands. The expansion will give a major boost
to the ongoing efforts for decongestion of roads, especially in the
Walled City markets and MI Road that bustle with traffic,” the official
said.

If everything goes according to plan, the urban
development and housing (UDH) department will construct the underground
parking parallel to MI Road. An underpass to facilitate the underground
traffic is also being considered. “The proposal is under serious
consideration. We are looking at the possibilities and if it happens,
the parking space will be almost doubled,” a senior UDH official said.

Agencies have been asked to make a detailed project report of the plan.
The officials are convinced that the project can be conceived and it
won’t take much time kick off the second phase. “The idea came only
after the current parking space was created. There are technical issues
involved but the expansion is practical and possible,” sources in the
department said.

The project will be one-of-its-kind in the country. At present, the biggest public multi-level parking is at Indira Gandhi
Airport, New Delhi, which has a parking space for 4,300 cars. But in
the five-storey parking only two slots are underground while rest is at
or above ground level.