Implementation of parking rules: LDA to serve notices on hospitals, mega stores

LAHORE: To ensure the implementation of rules and regulations about public parking, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has decided to conduct survey of nine model roads, approved hospitals and mega stores and serve notices if parking areas were compromised.

The chief town planner, LDA and TEPA will conduct the survey on model roads, approved hospitals and mega stores sites wherein parking areas were being compromised or used for any other activity other than parking. Notices will be served on such sites and three days will be given to vacate the parking area failing which legal actions should be taken.

The decision was taken in a meeting of Review Committee of Building & Zoning Regulations constituted in compliance with court orders in writ petition No 22574/2014. The meeting was chaired by the LDA DG and was attended by Shakeel Anjum Minhas, Chief Town Planner and Convener, Nadeem Akhter Zaidi, Chief Metropolitan Planner, Israr Saeed, Chief Engineer-1, Azhar Ali, Director Town Planning Zone-V, Syed Moazzam Ali Shah, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan, Khadija Amjad Wazir, Advocate, Tauseef Ahmed, Director TEPA, Faisal Waseem, CEO LePark Company, Ali Nawaz Shah, Director PHA, Anjum Shahzad, DSP Traffic, Samia Manzoor, Assistant Municipal Officer and Ali Ejaz, Deputy Director EPA. As per the meeting minutes, copy of which was available with the scribe, the convener welcomed the participants and briefed about the directions passed by the Lahore High Court, Lahore Writ Petition No. 22574/2014 titled as Syed Moazzam Ali Shah vs LDA, regarding environmental, traffic and parking issues of Lahore City and improvement of model roads as environment friendly and urban uplift.

The LDA DG directed to appoint the Additional Director General (HQ), LDA as Focal Person for this assignment and also directed to demand NOC of neighbours in case of high-rise buildings plan approval, including apartments. The DG directed to check the use of sites for which building plan was approved and compare parking space for which approval was granted through scrutiny of record of building plans and ensure purpose build buildings as per provisions of the Building Regulations. He directed TEPA to verify re-modeling of choking points of Lahore City and to conduct a survey on nine roads and submit feasibility of Cycle/Bike lanes on nine model Roads. The DG also directed TEPA to check parking standards and propose amendments regarding parking standards and necessary amendments to Building Regulations. The meeting also decided that the LePark should serve notices for illegal on-street parking while the PHA should clear illegal properties/encroachments from greenbelts/parks on model roads. The DG directed all the participants belonging to different departments for submission of proper reports within the next three days.

During the meeting, Moazzam Ali Shah, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan pointed out that a police chowki and Wasa pump were illegally constructed in a park site near American School which need to be demolished.

He also pointed out that traffic issues regarding on-street parking of departmental stores and demanded that actions should be taken against parking violators. He demanded the Lahore Parking Company introduce digital system for charging of parking fee, purpose build parking as per Building & Zoning Regulations 2019 should be ensured in letter & spirit, PHA should start action against illegal construction in green belts/park areas, LDA should analyse the parking capacity of school/colleges as per students enrolled and enforcement of Building Regulations w.r.t to purpose build buildings for example lmtiaz Shopping Mall on Main Boulevard Gulberg. Later, the Chief Town Planner briefed that proposal regarding amendment to Land Use regulations would be prepared regarding restrictions of allowing school, hospital and petrol pump sites i.e. one school/college/petrol pump with 250m vicinity and to ensure, NOC of neighbours shall be made compulsory in case of multi-storey buildings as per directions of LDA DG.

The Chief Engineer-I, LDA briefed that patchwork has been started on all the model roads and requested PHA to remove the plants. Director PHA informed that plants would be shifted within the next two days positively and further informed the committee that PHA has served around 5,000 notices to illegal constructions on greenbelts within two years and would serve such notices on model roads as per directions of DG. LDA and the PHA will remove Police Chowki on park site after discussion with concern authorities keeping in view the security issues. Lahore Parking Company briefed that an MoU was signed between a bank and Lahore Parking Company to digitise three sites among the 174 sites of Lahore Parking Company. In the end, the chair directed that above-mentioned directions/assignments in line with the order passed by the court shall be complied with by departments/ agencies concerned within due timeline.