LAHORE, May 10: The multi-million rupee parking plaza built by the Lahore Development Authority at the Shah Alam Market D-Point has become a liability for it due to the reluctance of the traders and their employees to use it for parking their cars and motorcycles.

Hundreds of cars and motorcycles belonging to the traders and their employees remain parked on both sides of the roads and corridors in front of the shops in the market from early in the morning till late in the evening. They are clearly not ready to park their vehicles away from the shops and pay for the parking. Parking in front of their shops is more convenient an free of charge.

The LDA had built the plaza to eliminate the traffic congestion in the busy market. It also expected to collect about Rs50,000 daily in the form of parking fee. Its average daily revenue, however, has not exceeded Rs10,000 so far. Besides providing the 14 kanals prime land, the LDA had spent Rs17.2 million on the construction of the plaza.

The plaza can accommodate 550 cars, 150 motorcycles and as many bicycles on 217,720 square feet parking space on its three basements, seven floors and the roof. So far an average of 300 cars and 300 motorcycles are parked at the first, second and third floors of the plaza. The three basement floors have been closed down and the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh floors remain vacant.

The plaza is used mainly by the visitors to the market who find no parking space anywhere in the market. Most of the traders do not allow anyone to park a car in front of their shops even when their own vehicles are temporarily away. The fear of cars being lifted by parking enforcement also compels some people to park their vehicles at the plaza.