Srinagar, Oct 20: Due to the non-availability of government parking slots at Boulevard, the private parking slot owners are charging vehicle owners according to their will.
Several people told Rising Kashmir that due to high rates by the private parking owners, people prefer to park their vehicles on the roadside, which is the main reason for the traffic jam in the area.
Abid Rashid, a visitor to the spot, complained that he was asked to pay rupees thirty for a few minutes stay and when he inquired about the same, the people present there asked him to park at some other place.
Rashid said that at these high rates, this place has been going unchecked for many years. The concerned departments will pay some attention to this spot as it is a vital tourist destination.
Most of the tourists at the site complained that the frequent traffic jams are accruing along their route, which is causing great inconvenience to the visitors. Some people also complained that people were parking their vehicles on the roadside, which was adding to the problems of the people.
These visitors have sought a full-fledged parking slot in the area to avoid the traffic jams in the locality. “This is a vital tourist place and everyone loves to come here, but due to the high rates for parking vehicles in the locality, it irks people, especially tourists.”
An official of the Motor Vehicle Department in Srinagar told Rising Kashmir that the parking slots across Srinagar city are looked after by the Srinagar Development Corporation.
Authority (SDA).
A vehicle owner, when asked why he had parked his vehicle on the roadside, replied, “He has work of just 5 minutes and why will he pay thirty rupees for a few minutes?”
Ahmad admitted that parking a vehicle on the roadside isn’t fair enough and added that due to high rates of private parking, “he was forced to park his vehicle on the roadside.”
Several others also seconded the views of Ahmad and complained that for a few minutes, vehicle owners are charged 30–100 rupees, which is a high rate.
Srinagar SSP traffic city Muzzafer Shah, while speaking to Rising Kashmir, admitted the high rates at these parking slots and said these parking slots are run by private people. The officer also stated that he would take this matter with the concerned department to regulate the fixed rates.
