Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has identified nine plots near metro stations for development as pay-and-park facilities, offering parking space for 5,903 two-wheelers and 246 four-wheelers. The move comes amid inadequate parking around metro stations, which has been discouraging commuters from driving to stations before taking the metro.Of the nine plots identified in the first phase, five are in the western part of the city and four in the eastern areas. AMC is also identifying locations for a second phase, under which another 17 plots will be developed for parking near metro stations.The selected plots include one near Vastral Gam metro station, two near Nirant Crossroad, one near Apparel Park, two near Thaltej Gam, and one each near Gandhigram, Vadaj and Sabarmati metro stations.According to AMC sources, the civic body had earlier attempted to improve metro connectivity by introducing feeder buses in areas surrounding stations. The buses connected residential areas and major roads with metro stations and charged passengers Rs 5. However, the service received a poor response and was eventually discontinued.
Nine plots have been identified
“Based on surveys and meetings with residents, feeder bus routes were introduced in the western part of the city. The experiment, however, did not receive the expected response. We therefore shifted focus to identifying vacant plots near metro stations for parking,” a source said.An AMC official said tenders for operating the nine parking facilities on a revenue-sharing model would be floated shortly. “Users will be charged for parking their vehicles. CCTV cameras will be installed at entry and exit points, which will also help collect data on vehicle movement,” the official said.In the western part, two plots in the Northwest Zone cover 14,929 sq m and will accommodate 2,389 two-wheelers and 99 four-wheelers. Three plots in the West Zone cover 2,915 sq m and can accommodate 467 two-wheelers and 20 four-wheelers.In the East Zone, four plots covering 19,046 sq m will provide parking for 3,047 two-wheelers and 127 four-wheelers.
