SURAT: Few cars are parked
in the multi-level pay-and-park facility built on the Rs 100 crore land
just behind the textile market on the Ring Road. It has been converted
into a kennel by stray dogs and a shelter by labourers. Thousands still
continue to park their vehicles on the roads there.

Surat Municipal Corporation
(SMC) built the Science Centre in City Light, a posh area with
sufficient underground parking facility. However, people have not shown
much interest in this facility too. At least 40 cars can been seen
parked daily outside the compound on the main City Light Road.

Surat is one of the most developed cities in the country but it doesn’t have a viable parking policy.

“The prime reason is lack of coordination between traffic police and
SMC,” said Kanti Bhanderi, chairman of the Town Planning (TP) committee
of SMC.

A traffic cop is scared to touch a two-wheeler at Mini
Bazaar in Varachha but would two away a vehicle from Ghod Dod Road for
parking in a ‘No parking’ zone.

“You can’t have different rules
for different areas. Rules should be same be it Varachha, City Light,
Ghod Dod Road, Kumbhariya or Katargam,” Bhanderi said.

Rajesh
Pandya, parking in-charge, SMC, said, “We need to quickly formulate a
parking policy for the city to end this chaos.”Municipal commissioner
Manoj Das said, “The number of multi-layer parking facilities will have
to be increased. We are making a provision for it in the new detailed
project report.”