Lucknow: The congested Sadar Bazaar in Lucknow Cantonment is set to get the city’s first multi-level robotic car parking facility, aimed at easing traffic snarls and reducing roadside parking in one of the cantonment’s busiest commercial areas.The Rs 15.64-crore project has been sanctioned by the ministry of defence under grants for creation of capital assets. Its foundation stone was laid on Aug 30 by defence minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak.Chief executive officer of Lucknow Cantonment Board, Abhishek Rathour, said the project has moved from an idea to reality following the intervention of defence minister. Construction is expected to begin within two months and the project is targeted for completion within 18 months.The facility will come up on Mangal Pandey Road in Sadar Bazaar, where traffic congestion has become a major problem during evening hours. Between 6 pm and 8 pm, stretches of Prabhu Dayal Marg, Shiv Mandir Road, Nehru Road and Mangal Pandey Marg witness traffic jams lasting up to an hour, primarily due to four-wheelers parked along the roads. The problem worsens as shoppers and visitors pour into the market during peak hours, reducing the available carriageway for moving traffic.The facility has been planned alongside the existing market and fruit market, with separate entry and exit points connecting it to the main road. The site also provides for rainwater harvesting.Unlike conventional multi-level parking, motorists will not have to drive their vehicles up the ramps or search for vacant spaces. A driver will leave the car at a designated entry bay at ground level. Sensors will detect the vehicle’s dimensions before robotic shuttles and lifts move it to an allotted parking slot.For retrieval, the motorist will present a token at the exit bay and the automated system will locate the vehicle and bring it back within minutes.The facility will have 25 parking spaces at each of the four parking levels, providing a total capacity of 100 cars. The four automated parking levels will be arranged in two tiers above the commercial portion of the building.This will increase parking capacity from the existing surface parking lot, which accommodates around 60 vehicles.The ground floor will primarily comprise commercial space, including five halls, each approximately 6.35 m wide and 18 m long. Revenue generated from the commercial establishments is proposed to support the operation and maintenance of the automated parking facility.The project will be executed by UP Projects Corporation Limited on a deposit-work basis and is expected to benefit around 25,000 residents and visitors using the Sadar area.“The project is planned with an objective of improving traffic circulation and mitigating congestion caused by roadside parking,” said Rathour.The facility is among 12 development projects worth Rs 100.92 crore approved by the defence ministry for Lucknow Cantonment.Other works include an AI-based solid waste management plant, bio-mining of legacy waste, replacement of water pipelines, eight automated tubewells, a special school for differently abled children, a multi-utility sports complex and upgradation of Neeta Memorial Polyclinic at RA Bazaar into a City Polyclinic.
