Day after platforms collapse, SDMC repairs auto parking lot, cops file FIR

Four platforms in the Green Park facility allegedly malfunctioned due to a technical fault during a maintenance operation around 5.30pm on Tuesday, leading to minor damage to at least two vehicles and the facility temporarily halting operations

A day after a section of platforms in the city’s first automated parking lot at Green Park collapsed, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation claimed its technical team repaired them on Wednesday.

The pictures from the accident site in the Green Park automated parking lot indicate minor damage to at least two vehicles. (Sourced)

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police registered an FIR to investigate the negligence which led to the accident.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Benita Mary Jaiker confirmed police have registered a case under sections 326 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code. “We have filed the FIR suo motu and have started a probe,” she said.

Four platforms in the Green Park facility allegedly malfunctioned due to a technical fault during a maintenance operation around 5.30pm on Tuesday, leading to minor damage to at least two vehicles and the facility temporarily halting operations.

SDMC mayor Mukesh Suryan has ordered a probe to investigate the reasons behind the malfunction. He said that if the private company operating the facility is found to be at fault then it will be blacklisted. Suryan said that the parking lot has been fully functional for the last 11 months. “The operation and maintenance of the entire parking facility have been the responsibility of the agency which constructed the whole parking lot for the past five years. During the upkeep and maintenance of the parking lot on the evening of November 2, an empty pallet of one tower got displaced from its position. The empty panel struck a lift and fell onto two other empty pallets. Since the parking system is fully mechanical, no loss of property or human life was reported. Our technical team reached the parking lot and made the parking facility operational,” he said.

Users said the accident negatively impacted the perception of the automated facility. Rajender Gaur, who was waiting to retrieve his vehicle from the lot, said that no one would be willing to risk using the automated parking lot even if there was a minor risk to the safety of their vehicles. “My relative was visiting the Green Park market on Tuesday when the incident took place. He informed me. I have been waiting to retrieve my vehicle since this morning. Such accidents do not inspire confidence,” he remarked.

Atul Goel, the president of URJA (United Residents’ Joint Action)-- a collective body of residents’ welfare associations-- said that the automated parking units have been functional in the western countries for a long time and the accident reflects poor maintenance or lack of regulatory framework.

“Either there has been negligence, or safety norms have not been followed, or the quality has been compromised in operations. This is not a small thing. There is already a trust deficit with the agencies and unless a proper third-party independent audit mechanism is set up, such projects will remain under-utilised,” Goel said.

SDMC has so far opened three such automated units during the last year at Green Park, Lajpat Nagar, and Adchini, while several more such facilities are in the pipeline at GK-1, GK-2, Amar Colony, Nizamuddin, Punjabi Bagh, and Sarai Kale Khan.

Dr S Velmurugan, chief scientist, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) said that automated parking systems are a proven trusted technology and the accident could have happened due to poor workmanship or maintenance-related issues. “It will make people apprehensive about using such facilities. Such snags or mechanical failures can be detected if the facility is frequently monitored and monthly audits are carried out. There should be third-party audits on a monthly basis or independent electrical engineers should be made part of the auditing team,” he added.

Sewa Ram, professor of transport planning, School of Planning and Architecture, said that people usually prefer surface parking despite a higher parking cost, and accidents like the one in Green Park can be a setback to the safety perception of automated facilities. “This accident seems like the first of its kind in Delhi. The technology has been in use for a long time in developed countries. Only a probe will indicate whether a mechanical or structural fault caused the accident. A thorough safety audit and safety assessment should be carried out and a fail-safe backup mechanism should be put in place to avoid a repetition in the future. Already, studies have shown that the occupancy of multilevel parking lots is low and people prefer to park on the surface,” he added.

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