Noida residents oppose paid parking outsides high-rises, say they trigger jams

High-rise residents have opposed paid parking facilities provisioned by the Noida authority through contractors outside their housing societies and appealed to the administration to suspend such contracts on the grounds that they are the prime cause for jams and congestion in residential areas.

In a meeting with the Noida authority cheif executive officer M Lokesh, a delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mandal president Pankaj Jha submitted a written complaint and demanded the cancellation of parking contracts in residential sectors.

Also Read: 7 things real estate investors should keep in mind before buying property in Greater Noida and Noida

Lokesh M has directed officer on special duty Mahendra Prasad to submit a report in this matter, the delegation later told reporters.

Lokesh M did not respond to calls and messages seeking his comment on the matter.

Earlier, in March, the authority had finalised contractors for surface parking at 35 sectors across three clusters at a revised fee, in a bid to provide relief to residents who often complained about lack of adequate parking space within society premises.

Also Read: Noida air conditioner blast: 12 things you should know about fire safety if you reside in high rises

A private fire, Infra Solutions, was assigned to manage cluster 1, while a firm called Milestone Security was handed over cluster 2 and private firm Ayush Parking Services was given cluster 3.

Rajiva Singh, president of Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Association, an umbrella body of residents’ welfare associations, said parked vehicles outsides societies, besides street vendors, were the prime cause for traffic congestion and jams.

“Issuing a parking ticket will never solve the issue of jams. Proper planning is missing. We need visitor parking and more parking space for residents at large high-rise societies,” he said.

Acknowledging that surface parking did amplify traffic congestion, Anil Yadav, deputy commissioner of police, Noida traffic police, said it was up to the Noida authority to find a more feasible and acceptable solution.

“Ideally, parking outside societies on the road is not allowed. High-rises should facilitate parking space as per its capacity. But when we try to issue a fine, residents raise the issue of how they lack enough parking space on heir premises and how builders won’t let them park multiple vehicles inside,” Yadav said.

Also Read: 5 things homebuyers should know about UP govt's nod to Amitabh Kant panel's proposals

DCP Yadav said it was impossible for the police to tow away a huge number of vehicles as they lacked resources and manpower, and maintained that it was up to the Noida authority to find a feasible solution.

“Police too understand that each home these days have two cars, so we are of the view that the authority should look into the matter. But we want to understand why a building plan is approved with 10 floors, 500 flats but only 100 car parking slots? When these plans are chalked out, developers should ensure that ample parking space is provided,” Yadav said.

Shivansh Srivastava , chairman of Caring Association India, a leading NGO in the country, has also shot off a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s office citing a response to a RTI (right ti information) query from the authority which failed to clarify under which norms parking contracts were awarded in residential areas.

Noida authority officials said they have set guidelines for parking, which may encourage or mandates efficient use of available parking spaces, especially in older societies where space is limited.

“Building by-laws specify the minimum parking requirements per unit, and in older societies, these requirements might be less generous due to the norms at the time of construction and a “only one car per flat” is applicable for such buildings,”an official said, asking not to be named, adding that the authority will look into the issue raised by residents.