SDMC fails to put into effect Lajpat Nagar-3 parking plan
APATHY Plan to regulate parking and traffic movement in the colony was to be implemented by Dec 31
NEW DELHI: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which was supposed to put into effect its ‘parking management area plan’ (PMAP) in Lajpat Nagar-iii to regulate parking and traffic movement in the residential colony, has failed to implement the plan in its entirety within the deadline set by the Supreme Court.
As per the SC’S directions, the plan was supposed to have been implemented by December 31 last year.
In September last year, the apex court had asked civic bodies to regularise parking in residential areas and develop Lajpat Nagar-iii in south Delhi, Krishna Nagar in east and Kamla Nagar in north as model areas in connection with parking and traffic management.
SDMC officials said that they started implementing the PMAP in Lajpat Nagar-iii a few days ago, before the deadline. However, when HT did a spot check of the residential area last week, it was found that only various types of signage were fixed at different locations in the colony and bollards were installed only at one corner near the Gurudwara.
The signage informing about no-parking areas, roundabouts, one-way traffic and toe away zone were installed in the residential neighbourhood. Cars were seen parked on roadsides and yellow strip lane marking — to demarcate parking areas — was also not done. Also, vehicles of residents as well as visitors have not been provided with coloured stickers.
Under PMAP for Lajpat Nagar-iii, the civic body had suggested keeping open seven gates of colony — gate numbers 1, 5, 3, 7, 13, 14, and 15 — round the clock, but on January 1, many of these gates were found closed and vehicles were parked in front of gates.
As per a report prepared by the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority, there is a demand for parking of 3,510 cars in Lajpat Nagariii residential area, but the available space can accommodate just 1,830 cars.
PMAP is aimed at improving availability of on-street and offstreet parking and utilise road space for the convenience of users giving priority to pedestrians, cyclists, emergency vehicles and vending zone, the officials said. It has to be implemented with the help of the residents’ welfare association (RWA).
Prem Shankar Jha, deputy commissioner, remunerative project cell at SDMC, said that the project was started within the deadline and remaining work would be completed in a week’s time. He said that the enforcement of the plan took time because Lajpat Nagar-iii is a big area, and it is for the first time when such an experiment is being done in any residential neighbourhood.
“We will soon start distributing stickers to the residents and visitors. Green-coloured stickers will be given to the residents of the colony while red ones will be for the visitors. We have identified 97 regular visitor vehicles in the colony – mostly those who have to visit offices. We will fully implement traffic regulation plan for the colony soon,” Jha said.
Harvinder Singh, member of Lajpat Nagar-iii RWA, said that as of now only signage-related work had been done by the civic agency and the rest is likely to be implemented in a few days. “Lane marking is to be done by the SDMC and the stickers are also to be provided by them. Both these measures are yet to be implemented. At many places, signage are still being installed,” Singh said.