Parking pangs at PGI

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 15

The patients visiting the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) are being double taxed for parking. 

The relatives of the patients complain that while in the entire city the parking charges are Rs 5, the PGI on the other hand was charging double the amount from people visiting the medical institute for treatment. 

Interestingly, PGI OPD changers are also Rs 10. “Is PGI not a part of Chandigarh? If in whole city the parking charges are Rs 5, than why the PGI is charging extra,” said Surinder Singh, from Balachaur who had taken his mother to the hospital for treatment.

Even the two-wheeler parking is mired in controversy. While Rs 2 are charged for scooter and motorcycle parking, but parking attendant charge Rs 3 for keeping the helmet. 

Interestingly, there is no mention of safekeeping of helmet in the contract clause. Even the employees of the parking contractor refused to speak anything on this issue.

Paucity of parking space

Every day, over 15,000 vehicles enter the PGI, said a parking lot attendant while justifying the move of charging Rs 10. 

As many as 8,000 cars come to the hospital daily whereas the parking lots could accommodate only 3,000 cars.

“Not only patients, even doctors and employees are facing the parking problem. Each day from 9am to 10 am, the road leading to the PGI witness a massive traffic jam. Many patients and their relatives park vehicles in the Sector 11 market, while others leave cars alongside the road,” said a parking attendant.

Manju Wadwalkar, Public Relations Officer, PGIMER, stated that PC Sharma, Chief Security Officer, deals with such issues. 

PC Shamra stated that the parking fee was fixed as per the contact clause. He said the Estate Office of the PGIMER deals with such issues. Despite repeated attempts, Ankush Sharma, Estate Officer, was not available for comments.

The Chief Security Officer of PGIMER, PC Sharma, said: “The vehicles get towed away only from the places where the signboards mentioning “no parking” are installed. “

Recently, a city resident lodged a complaint that the attendant of the parking lot in connivance with the towing company workers was harassing people.