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Chandigarh railway station: Free window for pick and drop increased to 10 minutes
Introduced to decongest the pick-and-drop lane, the new parking system had ended up making arrivals at the station a nightmare for passengers
In a move aimed at streamlining pick-and-drop services at the railway station, the free access period for the private vehicle has been increased to 10 minutes — up from the current six-minute window.
Speaking of the change, a railways official said the time limit has been enhanced by the contractor. The same comes after the contractor was served two notices to improve the system, amid the frequent chaos at the railway station. While the first notice sought an improvement in the system, the second served a termination warning.
The new parking system, implemented in September, allowed private vehicles only a limited free access to the pick-and-drop lane — six minutes. A ₹50-charge was levied for those exceeding the limit up to 15 minutes and ₹200 thereafter.
Introduced to decongest the pick-and-drop lane, the new parking system had ended up making arrivals at the station a nightmare for passengers. The private vehicle owners, who have to pay charges similar to commercial vehicles after six minutes, complained of the short period.
The system has even triggered a protest by the Chandigarh Youth Congress. The outfit’s president, Manoj Lubana said the expansion of the window was the victory of the people of Chandigarh.
Ambala divisional railway manager Mandeep Bhatia, meanwhile, said, “The step has been taken to facilitate the private vehicles in the pick-and-drop lane of the railway station which will benefit the public. We will also monitor the response.”
No change for commercial vehicles
Railway officials, meanwhile, said no change has been made in the charges being levied on commercial vehicles. Taxis and auto-rickshaws, resultantly, will still be required to pay ₹30 when entering the pick-and-drop lane. If the vehicle ends up remaining in the lane for more than six minutes, the charge bumps up to ₹50 up for up to 15 minutes and ₹200 if the lane is not vacated even after 15 minutes.
