Pune: The city has more than 40 lakh private vehicles but Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has developed only 31 of its 137 designated public parking reservations. The remaining 106 are on paper, civic data given to elected members in a written reply has revealed.With four of these 31 facilities closed and several operational ones defaulting on rent, lack of adequate parking infrastructure continues to push vehicle owners to park on the streets, increasing traffic congestion across Pune.According to traffic experts, authorities should make sure they promote public transport and discourage the use of private vehicles. This will resolve the parking problem. Inadequate parking facilities and poor public transport are a double whammy for commuters.“Infrastructure like roads and flyovers promotes private transport. The administration should make sure that facilities like bus services are improved,” Jugal Rathi of PMP Pravasi Manch said.“Last-mile connectivity is a major concern for the Metro rail project. Even if people want to use it, they cannot do so. Public parking facilities near Metro stations are limited. It discourages people from opting for the Metro over private vehicles,” Mitali Mahajan, a regular Metro commuter, said.PMC officials said that the administration is creating awareness about the use of public transport. Sensitisation programmes are created about the adverse impact of burning fossil fuels for private vehicles.“PMC plans to introduce paid public parking on major roads of the city. This will reduce the on-road parking of vehicles. The implementation of this scheme will be done after a go-ahead from the elected members,” a senior PMC official said.Vehicle owners have pointed out that basic amenities, such as public toilets, are absent at these sites. Furthermore, although many of these parking facilities are multi-storeyed, the absence of lifts makes it difficult for commuters to use them.Citizens said numerous public parking spaces have effectively turned into vehicle-dumping grounds, with two-wheelers and four-wheelers abandoned there for years. Although PMC planned to auction off these unattended vehicles if their owners failed to claim them, the nuisance remains unresolved.According to PMC officials, punitive measures have already been taken against defaulting contractors. The administration has even cancelled contracts for certain facilities due to non-payment of rent and other infractions.Civic data shows that standard public parking rates are set at Rs 14 per hour for four-wheelers and Rs 3 per hour for two-wheelers.Meanwhile, data from Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) reveals that the total number of registered vehicles in the city stands at approximately 45 lakh. This comprises 33 lakh two-wheelers, 8 lakh cars, and 4 lakh other vehicles, including commercial transport, three-wheelers, and autorickshaws.
