Chaos and uncertainty have gripped the parking facilities at the city railway station after the parking contract expired nearly 10 days ago, leaving thousands of daily commuters without a properly managed parking system and costing the Railways lakhs of rupees in lost revenue.
While railway officials maintain that adequate security arrangements are in place, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has raised concerns over the unattended parking areas, warning that the situation could lead to security lapses and untoward incidents.
The station’s three parking lots — located at the main entrance, the Kali Mata Mandir side and the Civil Lines side — have been operating without a contractor since the previous agreement ended. As a result, commuters have been left to park their vehicles in largely unregulated spaces, leading to confusion, congestion and fears over vehicle safety.
According to officials, the parking contract generated nearly ₹70,000 per day, translating into an estimated ₹21 lakh in monthly revenue. With no new contractor appointed, the Railways is reportedly losing the revenue.
Many passengers complained that vehicles are being parked haphazardly, often causing traffic bottlenecks around the station.
{{/usCountry}}Many passengers complained that vehicles are being parked haphazardly, often causing traffic bottlenecks around the station.
{{/usCountry}}Several commuters also expressed concern that unattended parking areas increase the risk of theft and vandalism.
A railway official said tenders for the parking contract had been floated twice but could not be finalised due to procedural reasons. He asserted that the parking areas remain secure and that railway staff have been deployed to monitor the facilities and assist passengers.
However, Ludhiana GRP station house officer (SHO) Jatinder Singh offered a contrasting view. He said the parking areas are effectively lying unattended and that the possibility of a security breach cannot be ruled out. According to him, the matter has already been brought to the notice of the station director and station superintendent.
The SHO further revealed that the GRP had repeatedly written to railway authorities, urging them to restore a proper parking management system and strengthen security arrangements. Despite these communications, no concrete solution has emerged so far.
Interestingly, a similar situation had arisen in the past when the parking contract expired. At that time, railway authorities had temporarily handed over parking management to ticket-checking staff, ensuring smooth operations and preventing revenue loss until a new contractor was appointed.
Ferozepur divisional railway manager (DRM) Rajesh Kumar was not available for the comments despite repeated calls.