Parking crunch irks Metro commuters

If you plan to switch your mode of transport to Metro from car, better leave your vehicle at home as chances of getting space to park it in the Metro parking zone is meagre. Subhendu Ray reports. Poor arrangements

If you plan to switch your mode of transport to Metro from car, better leave your vehicle at home as chances of getting space to park it in the Metro parking zone is meagre.

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At a time when the Delhi Metro has changed the commuting culture in the Capital by emerging as the most-preferred mode of public transport, the poor parking arrangement at many stations is adding to the woes of commuters.

Parking lots at busy Metro stations are often full, leaving motorists who need to park their vehicles and take a Metro ride, at a loss. This may be one of the reasons why many still prefer to travel by cars.

The Delhi Metro has admitted the problem, but it has failed to come up with a solution. "We try to reserve maximum space for parking at major stations. If we get adequate land, we will develop lots at all stations in Phase-3," said DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal. "Only multi-level parking can solve the problem," he said.

"The DMRC is in the process of selling all parking land to builder mafia, which will create problem for motorists. In 2009, it had promised to provide discount to regular commuters at Rs 175 and Rs 75 per month for cars and scooters, respectively, at all stations, but it has increased the amount by 400 times," said Rajiv Mehrotra of the Association of Metro Commuters, an NGO.

Stations where parking arrangements have been upgraded are Sarita Vihar, Central Secretariat and Nehru Place. There are demands to increase parking area at Metro stations in Dwarka and Gurgaon, say DMRC officials.