Illegal parking adds to snarls in Greater Noida

The Advant official attributed the traffic conundrum to multiple factors, including illicit parking, an influx of patrons at an English wine shop, and queues outside a CNG petrol pump, collectively obstructing the entire road

Addressing persistent complaints of traffic congestion along the Shaheed Mangal Pandey Marg, which runs parallel to the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway in Sector 142, Gautam Budh Nagar’s traffic police have initiated measures to curb illegal roadside parking, officials revealed on Friday. The burgeoning issue of unauthorized vehicle parking outside a commercial complex on this crucial artery has led to daily traffic snarls during peak hours.

The six-lane road contracts to a single lane on one side due to vehicles parked outside the Advant building. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The six-lane thoroughfare contracts to a single lane on one side due to vehicles haphazardly parked outside the Advant building, creating a pronounced bottleneck that exacerbates the traffic woes.

A spokesperson from the management of the Advant building, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed, “Advant holds no direct traffic responsibility outside its gates, but we urge Noida authority to address the parking predicament and collaborate with traffic police to streamline traffic flow.”

He added, “Deploying our security personnel outside the gates often leads to altercations, making it challenging to enforce parking regulations. Previously, Noida authority managed surface parking outside our gates, but for the past seven months, that space has been unregulated, allowing indiscriminate parking.”

The Advant official attributed the traffic conundrum to multiple factors, including illicit parking, an influx of patrons at an English wine shop, and queues outside a CNG petrol pump, collectively obstructing the entire road.

Vishnu Saini, a resident of Sector 137, observed, “Traffic congestion plagues the vicinity of the Advant building daily between 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 9 pm. The commercial hub, abundant with pubs and eateries, lacks adequate parking options apart from Advant’s underground facility, which remains underutilized.”

Saini said, “An unregulated U-turn outside the Advant exit gate also amplifies congestion. The area accommodates numerous colonies and residential complexes, with residents of Sectors 137, 143, and 144 consistently grappling with traffic issues.”

Traffic Inspector CP Mishra,said, “In recent times, we repeatedly urged Advant’s security officials to prevent unauthorized parking outside their premises. Despite warnings, the traffic police had to issue approximately 25 fines for illegal parking violations outside Advant on August 1.”

Mishra said, “Numerous employees from Advant offices contribute to the parking problem. I issued a stern warning to the security staff, emphasizing the need to rectify the mismanagement within a week, failing which stringent actions will be taken. Additionally, we have advised the CNG pump to explore alternatives to alleviate the extensive queues.”

Suniti, (Traffic) DCP, said, “The parking issue has come to our attention over the past few weeks. We are actively seeking alternatives and will take stringent measures against unauthorized parking outside the commercial complex.”

Vineet Sharma, Junior Engineer at Noida authority, said, “The Authority has sanctioned the Advant parking tender, which is set to be implemented within a month. While there are two legal parking zones outside the building, if we determine that these authorized spaces contribute to traffic congestion, we will explore options to amend the arrangement.”

As stakeholders collaborate to mitigate the traffic turmoil caused by haphazard parking, the anticipated measures hold the promise of fostering smoother vehicular movement along this crucial stretch.