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Hiked parking fee in Ludhiana: Local bodies dept director asked to act on plaint by traders’ body
The PPBM had earlier alleged that the parking contractor was also charging fee for vehicles which were driven to the multi-storey parking lot (near Ludhiana MC Zone A office) just to unload the material purchased by visitors from the nearby markets
Acting on a complaint submitted by Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal (PPBM) against bi-hourly parking rates and different rates being charged at different parking lots of the municipal corporation (MC) in the city, chief minister’s (CM) office has directed the director of local bodies department to look into the matter and take action as per the rules/policies of the government.
The PPBM had earlier alleged that the parking contractor was also charging fee for vehicles which were driven to the multi-storey parking lot (near MC Zone A office) just to unload the material purchased by visitors from the nearby markets. The vehicles of visitors/customers are parked at the parking lot and they move to nearby markets, including Chaura Bazar, Akalgarh market etc to make purchases.
State general secretary of PPMB Sunil Mehra and district general secretary Ayush Aggarwal said how was it possible that different parking fee was being charged at different parking lots of the MC by the same contractor. “Same fees should be charged at all parking lots, that too nominal,” they said.
The contractor has been charging hefty on bi-hourly basis at multi-storey parking lot. This has also been affecting the customers, especially those visiting the wholesale markets of the city from other districts and states, said Aggarwal, while adding that the state government should intervene and resolve the matter.
Mehra said that alleged illegal practices by parking contractor was also putting a blot on the image of state government as the civic body had failed to act against the contractor, despite repeated complaints. He added that the state government should form a committee which should move to ground and resolve the issues being faced by visitors at parking lots.
Earlier, different market associations had also raised hue and cry over bi-hourly parking fee in the city approved by the MC, following which MLA Gurpreet Gogi had intervened and the rates were adjusted after discussions with the market associations at parking lots of Sarabha Nagar main market, BRS Nagar, Tuition market in Model Town Extension and Feroze Gandhi market. But the rates remained same at multi-storey parking and Bhadaur house market lot.
Till last year, a one-time fee was charged at MC parking lots for parking vehicles for 24 hours.
