Lahore: Liberty Market metered parking: Visitors irked by officials’ attitude

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Officials clamp tyres, threaten of fine
* Parking in-charge says officials trying to facilitate visitors

LAHORE: People complained about the attitude of police and the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) officials deployed to educate commuters about traffic laws the first metered parking at Liberty Market, Daily Times learnt on Sunday.

The district government established metered parking at Liberty with a budget of Rs 140 million to relieve visitors facing traffic problems in the area.

Complaints: Many visitors at the market complained about the attitude of CDGL and police officials deployed at the parking. People alleged the staff of CDGL and traffic police deployed at the market misbehaved if anyone spent more time than he or she had been allowed according to the tickets, purchased at the time of parking. The officials also locked the cars that exceeded the parking limit by clamping their tyres and threatened visitors with a fine of Rs 500, if they exceed the time limit in the future. The visitors complained that the officials responsibility is to control the traffic but they further complicated the situation.

A woman complained that she had bought her one-hour-limit ticket, but was late by 30 minutes. When she got back, the officials had already clamped the tyres of her car. When she approached the traffic warden and a CDGL official nearby to unlock her car, the officials fined her Rs 500 for exceeding the time limit. She complained that the officials were just not extremely rude, wasted her time and embarrassed her.

Salman Shad, a resident of Askari Villas said he visited the market to purchase some households and bought a parking ticket with a one-hour time limit. He said it took him only 40 minutes extra to return to his car, but despite that the officials threatened him with a fine. He said their attitude was rude and embarrassing. In-charge defies rumours: Liberty CDGL Incharge Rasheed Cheema said the parking area at the market only accommodated 600 vehicles, whereas more than 5,000 commuters visited the market everyday. He said by deploying the officials, the government is only trying to facilitate the commuters and he had not received a single complaint regarding any officials’ attitude so far.

Traffic Warden Asif Shah, deployed to enforce rules and regulation at metered parking of the market said they were just informing people about the rules and regulations, but would start issuing tickets to miscreants by the end of February. Regarding the complaint received over the attitude of the officials, he said people like to judge officials and say whatever that suits them.

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