September 27, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 26, 1429

LAHORE, Sept 26: The City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) has suspended its campaign against overcharging at parking lots after importing meter-parking system, giving a free hand to contractors to fleece the motorists by charging at will at and around almost all commercial centres in the Punjab capital.

The CDGL had in July last year awarded one-year contracts to parties for setting up only 56 parking stands along major roads under its control. According to the terms of the agreements, the contractors were bound to charge Rs5 for a motorcycle and Rs10 for a car.

A survey of different city areas revealed on Friday that contractors were charging Rs10 and Rs20 for motorcycle and cars, respectively. Ironically, contractors at the Jinnah Hall and outside the LDA complexes on Egerton Road and Court Street were found charging double the fee.

An official of the CDGL told this reporter that a campaign was launched against overcharging at parking lots in the second week of last month. Raids were conducted at Egerton, Davis, Ferozpur, Jail and Garhi Shahu roads besides Gulberg's main boulevard and three dozen or so employees of contractors were nabbed. Cases were registered against the arrested men and their employers, with the former sent behind the bars and the latter at large.

“After a week or so, the people involved in conducting raids at the parking lots were first denied vehicles and other supportive staff for the purpose. Later, they were informed that the campaign had been suspended,” added the official who wished not to be named.

A CDGL spokesman said 16 latest parking meters, imported from France, would be installed at different places in Lahore. After installation, the meters would redress the grievance of Lahorites regarding overcharging by parking stand contractors.

As a pilot project, the system would be introduced at Liberty Market, Gulberg's main boulevard and MM Alam Road with an estimated cost of Rs36 million.

Each of the 16 ticketing equipment would cover 60 vehicles. People would find the machine at a distance of 30 meters, get a printed parking ticket from it after inserting a token that would be displayed at the front or rear screen or dashboard prominently. The ticket would be issued on hourly basis and traffic wardens would wheel-clamp the vehicle found parked more than the prescribed time and impose fine.

The system would be functional within 17 weeks while lane marking for vehicle parking would be started next week. The CDGL would launch a public awareness campaign regarding the system's working and a central control room would be set up at the DCO Office in order to monitor the ticketing equipment. The CDGL would notify affordable parking rates soon after completion of the system installation, the spokesman added.