Lajpat Nagar Market a driver’s nightmare

MCD removed parking contractors two months ago, banking on a parking meter system that has been delayed

Lajpat Nagar Market a driver's nightmare

MCD removed parking contractors two months ago, banking on a parking meter system that has been delayed

Roads adjoining Lajpat Nagar Market are shrinking every day. The problem is that of parking. The last straw was Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) doing away with the contractors two months ago who were in charge of managing the situation. The civic agency had pinned its hopes on the parking meter system, which was expected to be implemented in the area by May. That has not happened. Hence the chaos.u00a0u00a0u00a0

Where's the road? A view of the heavy trafficu00a0 at central market in
Lajpat Nagar caused by the parking problems in the area.
PIC/Rajeev Tyagi

Vikram Pal Neb, Secretary, Pushpa Market Vyapar Mandal, said: "The market isn't facing just one issue. The car purchase shops take away all the space. Tempos are not allowed entry into the market and there is no assigned place for them in the parking lots as well. But very frequently you see them here. Also, there is a tempo stand in the parking lot which is strictly unauthorised. But there is no supervision to keep a check on them."

Veer Savarkar Marg along with Feroz Gandhi Marg are two of the lanes of Lajpat Nagar which are always flooded with cars. Lajpat Nagar Market being one of the busiest markets of Delhi, witnesses endless traffic day in and day out.

"The promise of improved parking facilities is being talked about since some 15 years ago. But even today the area lacks modern parking techniques. And since the past two months the situation is even worse. MCD cancelled contracts of all the parking agencies," he added.

Delhi government in January had announced that within four months the city's first parking meters-based car parking would come up at this market. But months have passed and the authorities have not even started implementing the project.

President, Automobile Association of Upper India (AAUI), TK Malhotra, said "In another four months, we will introduce parking meters in the market. We aim at bringing a better look to the market. The system of parking meters will be high-tech."

He added that after parking meters are allotted, hawkers will be removed from the area. To ensure, that every Delhiite gets a chance to visit the market, a maximum of three hours time can be allotted to the visitors. With this, the problems of tempos and those vehicles which remain parked for hours are likely to get sorted.
The market remains closed on Monday, thus making Tuesdays and weekends the best time for shoppers to visit here. Also, the movie theatre near the market only adds to the rush.

"To end the congestion for people, a system of one-way traffic was started. But nobody follows it. Irrespective of the barricades, cars still run both ways," said Rahul, a local shopkeeper. Pramod Panchal, an employee at the local branch of Bank of India said: "Not just Lajpat Nagar, entire Delhi should have modern parking lots and no cars should be allowed in the market."

The streets of the central market are occupied by hawkers, which takes away most of the space where cars could have passed through. "There is no place for parking and if we park our cars wherever we find space, then we undergo challans and sometimes even our vehicles are towed away." said Harish Arora, a visitor.

Tight queeze
On an average about 1200 cars enter a single parking lot at the market and the figure almost doubles on weekends. There are two parking lots in the market of the same capacity. After parking meters are installed, the area will be able to accommodate around 1500 cars in one parking lot.