Rs 1.5 billion project: Parking plaza’s construction delayed for two months

[Naveed Yaseen]

* RDA rejects design saying it is not earthquake proof
* NESPAK likely to hand over earthquake proof design to RDA by end of April

By Aamir Yasin
RAWALPINDI: The launch of construction work of Rs 1.5 billion Multi-Tower Parking Plaza at Fowara Chowk, Raja Bazaar, has been delayed for two months as Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has rejected design of the plaza saying it is not earthquake proof.

Earthquake proof design: Sources told Daily Times on Saturday that RDA had assigned NESPAK to design the parking plaza at Suzuki stand, Fowara Chowk, to ease traffic flow in and around Raja Bazaar and adjoining area.

They said NESPAK had completed the design of proposed plaza and handed it over to RDA in January, but RDA rejected the design and asked NESPAK to redesign it.

They said the parking plaza design would be earthquake proof to avoid any untoward situation in the commercial hub of the city. They said NESPAK had completed the land survey of the area and collected soil samples for the earthquake proof design.

They said the firm was likely to hand over the design to RDA by the end of April and the construction work of the project would start by end of May.

They said total area of the plaza would be four kannals and RDA would erect five-storey building, which would have a capacity to accommodate at least 1,000 two and four wheelers on daily basis.

Bus terminal: They said a bus terminal would be established on the ground floor, as after the construction of plaza public transport vans and buses would have no place for stopover.

Talking to Daily Times, RDA Director General Makeen Shahbaz said the civic body had asked NESPAK to redesign the parking plaza.

He said they had completed all their homework to launch the project immediately after receiving the design. He said the area of parking plaza was curved and it required more care in design to make it earthquake proof.

He said RDA had allocated Rs 900 million for the project in the annual development plan and initially they would construct basement and three storeys of the plaza.

The remaining floors would be constructed in next phase in next fiscal year, he said, adding, RDA would construct the plaza with its own resources.

Shahbaz said the civic body was pursuing an international method to ease traffic in the downtown. He said parking plazas were built in all over the developed world.

He said parking plaza was the only solution to the ever-increasing traffic problem in the downtown, as more than 60,000 vehicles ply on roads around the Fowara Chowk. He said they required a parking having a capacity to accommodate 1,200 vehicles. He said the roadside place accommodated only 200 vehicles.

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