Court orders robust parking policy

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court has directed the Lahore Parking Company to devise a robust parking policy and plan parking spaces to cater to the parking requirements of the Lahore City while considering the traffic flow. 

“LPC shall devise a parking policy and plan parking spaces within the city of Lahore, which policy must be robust and not reactive in nature, but caters to the requirement of the City.

The policy should change and evolve with the changing patterns in the usage of private and public vehicles and should consider the traffic issues of the city of Lahore. In this regard, the LPC shall work in close liaison with the traffic police so that parking spaces have the least impact on the flow of traffic,“ the court said.

Justice Ayesha A Malik announced its reserved judgment and directed the LPC to charge parking fee in accordance with some policy. In this regard, the parking rates at specified times of the day or days of the week for specified duration can vary for efficient parking management instead of aiming to simply generate revenue by prescribing a flat rate, the judgment said. World over parking is an issue which requires constant regulation and monitoring. There are mobility plans devised to appreciate the flow of traffic and people in terms of the mode of transport used and parking policies devised which regulate parking issues. Roadside space is planned not only from the parking aspect but also based on other usages such as buses, taxis, plantation, public crossing etc. In the same way, parking spaces are allocated based on traffic flows, area and other modes of transport in order to effectively regulate parking. Hence parking along roadside spaces and at public places must be based on some mobility plan and parking policy. In the same way, rationalising parking based on area, usage and public need is vital so as to make available sufficient parking spaces within the city and thereafter to charge parking fee based on some pricing policy.

In this regard, parking rates at specified times of the day or days of the week for specified duration can vary for efficient parking management instead of aiming to simply generate revenue by prescribing a flat rate.

The court issued this judgment on petitions of different private parking contractors at notable shopping malls and  hospitals like Pace Mall, Hafeez Centre, Siddique Trade Centre, Chen One and Surgimed Hospital.  They requested the court that having parking lots at private place, they cannot be directed by the LPC to regulate these parking lots as per its directions. The court dismissed their petitions saying that all parking stands are located in public places as they are either shopping malls, business centres or hospitals. These are areas which are accessed by the public regularly on a daily basis within which the facility of parking must be provided, the judgment said, adding that therefore these parking stands should be regulated by LPC. Furthermore, a private parking stand operating in a public place is bound to collect parking rates notified by the City District Government.

The court observed that there was a large increase in the number of cars and motorbikes and a shortage of parking spaces be it public or private, within the city. Also parking is not properly regulated; hence the problem of availability of parking, wrong parking and encroachments have multi-folded, the court observed.

Issuing directions to the LPC for making the policy, the court said the policy must be robust based on requirement of the city. The policy should change and evolve with the changing patterns in the usage of private and public vehicles and should consider the traffic issues of the city of Lahore. The court directed the LPC to work in a close liaison with the traffic police so that parking spaces have the least impact on the flow of traffic.

The judgment said the building owners are required to provide proper provision for parking within the building premises, and the owners of the buildings/plazas/hospital cannot use the land earmarked for parking in contravention to the approved building plans.

Representatives of the LPC appearing before the court submitted that they have not devised any mechanism to register parking contractors to standardise their function nor do they have control over private contractors and private parking spaces.

The report filed by the city traffic police outlined the gravity of the traffic problems due to lack of coordination between traffic police, CDGL and LPC. The report stated that parking stands in many areas have created serious hindrance to the smooth flow of traffic as they have been given space in congested areas where the flow of traffic and given amenities do not justify the operation of the parking stand. It was also pointed out that parking contractors often encroach upon public space, side walls, service areas and empty plots to allow parking, which is neither permitted nor conducive to the flow of traffic, the report said. The court ordered that the CDGL and LPC should contribute efforts with the traffic police and have regular meeting so as to stay abreast with the traffic issues.

The court also ordered the CDGL to consider grievance of a petitioner who complained of parking stands of the LPC on service roads which block entire roads and cause difficulties to access the buildings.