KARACHI, Nov 9 The city government has resumed work on laying the foundation of one of five parking plazas planned by its transport and communication department (TCD), a senior official told Dawn.

Originally, the work to build a parking plaza behind Saddar Dawakhana, in Lines Area, had been started in May but the monsoon rains caused disruption, also prompting the TCD to extend the deadline for its completion.

“We have resumed work on the laying of foundation of this parking plaza after it was disrupted and delayed by rains for a few months,” Mohammad Athar, EDO Transport and Communication, said. He said the parking plaza was being constructed on an open space of 4,386 square yards and would have two basements and five floors. On the mezzanine and first floors, shops and offices would be built.

Mr Athar said the department had also finalised location and work plans for another parking plaza the same area keeping in view the demand for such facilities in Saddar, one of the busiest commercial areas of the city.

“Merely a single such facility may not resolve the problems vis-à-vis parking in the areas like Saddar, which is why we have planned yet another parking plaza in this town,” he said.

He said once the project was formally approved, its details, including the location, would be made public.

Officials in the city government said the TCD was planning to build parking plazas in various parts of the city to manage and streamline the traffic flow on all major roads and streets. The lack of parking space is one of the major factors leading to traffic congestion and fatal accidents, besides causing waste of fuel, fatigue and pollution.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal lately announced that the city government was planning to build 30 parking plazas across the city to regulate and manage traffic movement.

Officials in TCD said study had also been completed on a similar parking plaza on an open space in Clifton Block 7, near Schon Circle. Spread over an area of 2,932 square yards, the plaza would have a basement and five floors.

The TCD has finalised similar facilities at Boulton Market and Paposh Nagar.

Mr Athar said the TCD had asked administrations of all 18 towns to select some suitable locations for parking plazas in their jurisdictions and submit proposals to the TCD for further evaluation and implementation of feasible plans.

“It is not necessary to construct a parking plaza in every town because some towns may need more than one and some others, like Malir, may not need any,” he said, adding: “It depends on the commercial activities and volume of vehicular traffic in an specific area.”

Sources in different town administrations said the most TMAs were finding it difficult to specify a location for parking facilities because of various reasons.

“Every town has open spaces but the relevant laws do not allow use of such land for a purpose other than they are meant for,” said an insider.