Soon, separate lanes for private, commercial vehicles at Chandigarh railway station

Amid controversy over the new parking system at Chandigarh railway station, which entails an entry fee for commercial vehicles irrespective of stay duration, senior officials have decided to separate the lanes for private and commercial vehicle

Amid controversy over the new parking system at Chandigarh railway station, which entails an entry fee for commercial vehicles irrespective of stay duration, senior officials have decided to separate the lanes for private and commercial vehicles.

Officials said that steps have been taken to streamline pick-and-drop movement of vehicles at Chandigarh railway station and save passengers’ time.

The decision was taken following a visit by senior officials, including Ambala divisional railway manager Mandeep Singh Bhatia and senior divisional commercial manager Hari Mohan on Wednesday.

The officials said that steps have been taken to streamline pick-and-drop movement of vehicles and save passengers’ time. According to the plan discussed on Wednesday, Lane 1 will be for pick-and-drop by private and government vehicles, Lane 2 for commercial vehicles and lane 3 for parking vehicles.

There will also be a separate exit lane for parked vehicles.

Ambala DRM Mandeep Singh Bhatia, said, “The plan has been finalised and will be implemented in a few days. We have involved all stakeholders while planning this. The lane discipline will be strictly enforced.”

It has also been decided that a list of vehicles that are exempted from parking charges will be displayed.

Senior divisional commercial manager Hari Mohan said they have told the contractor concerned to prominently display lane-wise signages for different vehicles. “The system will certainly decongest the lanes and save time in pick-and-drop,” he said.

Under the new parking system, implemented in September, while private vehicles are allowed free access to pick-and-drop lane for six minutes, passengers arriving in commercial vehicles, including taxis and auto-rickshaws, have to pay ₹30 for even entering the lane, which they term unfair. If the commercial 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 after 15 minutes.

While officials have planned to redefine the lanes, no revision of the new parking system, which has been criticised by many, has been done so far.