Chaos at railway station as commuters unaware about free parking lot

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5

Commuters visiting the Chandigarh railway station today were a harried lot. The visitors faced huge inconvenience in locating the new parking lots, thereby causing traffic jams outside the railway station.

Even as the paid parking lot on the premises is jampacked with vehicles and autorickshaws, the free parking lot –- made open to the public on Thursday –- is deserted as the authorities have not installed any signboards or deputed railway staff to inform people.

Even as some commuters parked their cars on the roadsides, the Government Railway Police (GRP) staff forcefully removed vehicles to clear the passage.

Due to this, a majority of the commuters parked their four-wheelers near the front gate of the station, adding to chaos during the arrival of trains.

Visitors coming to drop their friends and family at the railway station for the morning Shatabdi were the worst-affected. As the difference between the arrival and departure timings of the trains is only 30 minutes, heavy rush was witnessed outside the station premises.

During a visit to the station, it was found that the GRP staff had a tough time managing the flow of vehicles and guiding commuters to park their vehicles at the free parking lot.

Ambala Division Railway Manager Anil Khathapal said, “Instructions have been issued to the GRP to issue challans to the violators who park their vehicles on the roadside. Signboards will be installed soon for the convenience of commuters.”

GRP Station House Officer, (SHO) Inspector Aman Singh said, “We did not issue challans to the violators as the new parking lot was made open to the public from today. A warning will be issued for a few days after which challans will be issued. If there is a violation for the second time, vehicles will be impound by the GRP.”

The Railways have developed a new parking lot spread over 1,200 square feet having a capacity of more than 700 cars in addition to the parking facility for commuters at the railway station.

But as there was no takers to manage it though the tendering process was done twice, the railway authorities opened the new parking lot for free usage by the public to avoid traffic menace at the station.

xAs per records of the Ambala Division, on an average 35 trains ply daily from the Chandigarh railway station and more than 20,000 commuters depart to various destinations and arrive at the Chandigarh railway station whereas two years ago, the number of trains plying from here were 12 to 15 in a day.

Escalators functional from today at station

The newly installed escalators at the railway station will be made functional from Saturday. The escalators will connect platform number 2 and 3. No formal inauguration will be done to throw open the facility.