Private hospitals, labs encroach on public roads in Patiala, commuters suffer

Tribune News Service

Karam Prakash

Patiala, October 4

Mushrooming of private hospitals and medical labs on the road at the rear end of the Government Rajindra Hospital and Income Tax Road in Leela Bhawan area has spelt traffic chaos. Reason: Roads have been enchroached upon by private hospitals, labs and parked vehicles of their staff.

Without parking space of their own, these hospitals and labs, owing to laxity on part of the administration, have encroached upon the public road.

Due to encroachment, frequent snarl-ups are witnessed on these roads. During peak hours, the situation gets worse in the absence of traffic police.

Due to haphazard parking, one of the two lanes remains clogged at all times at the rear end of the hospital, leaving barely any space for vehicular movement. Similarly, two lanes, each on both side of the four-lane road in Leela Bhawan, gets choked due to illegally parked vehicles.

Ironically, the private security men of some hospitals have even marked parking space for owners outside the hospitals, leaving little space for patients and other visitors.

Several complaints in this regard have been filed by area residents to various departments, but to no avail.

One of the complainants said: “On paper, a few hospitals have shown basement area as parking space. But they are using it for private purposes. No action is being taken by the district administration against the hospitals and labs for encroaching upon public roads.”

Traffic incharge Inspector Preetinder said: “We have been issuing challans for wrong parking outside these hospitals and labs. Recently, we have started seizing vehicles parked illegally in the prohibited area.”

Meanwhile, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said she would look into the matter.

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