Quite diligently , the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been trying to provide more and more parking space in the new constructions and on open spaces when experts have warned against it.
The Development Control (DC) rules have proposed a new parking policy for old city area, according to which for multiple residential occupancy, every tenement having built-up area of more than 200 sq m must have provision to park three cars and two two-wheelers in congested and non-congested areas.
Every tenement having a built-up area between 100-200 sq m must have parking space for two cars and two twowheelers. For every two tenements having a built-up area above 50 sq m but less than 100 sq m, two cars and four 4 two-wheelers parking is a must. Also 5% visitors parking is being made mandatory in all cases.
But experts are not happy with the parking policies that urban areas are opting for. “Before more urban spaces are surrendered to increase parking spaces and to the mindless and expensive construction of parking facilities for cars, it is important to get the terms of action right,“ said Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) executive director Anumita Roy Chowdhury .
A CSE survey shows that people are willing to consider a shift to other modes only if the minimum parking rates are three times the rate in a multilevel parking. The municipal agency will eventually have to fix parking charges at a rate that will influence commuters’ choice of commuting and duration of parking.
Parisar, the city-based organization has warned that ample provision of parking will encourage private vehicles on roads and the civic bo dy must resist providing abundant parking spaces.Sujit Patwardhan of Parisar said that the world-over cities are opting for policies to discourage private vehicles, while in Pune the policies are encouraging car users by providing incentives like ample parking.
City engineer Prashant Waghmare said the civic body is not encouraging private vehicles by providing parking. The parking provided is as per the requirement of the city and citizens, he added.
Source : TOI
