PMC to finally dismantle multi-storeyed mechanised parking lot on JM Road

Pune: The civic administration has finally taken the call to dismantle the multi-storeyed mechanised parking on Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road, which has been shut for the last several years despite futile attempts to revive it.City residents have criticised the waste of public money, highlighting that a much-needed facility on a prime route near a Metro line, built for crores of rupees nearly two decades ago, has languished into disrepair for want of maintenance and lack of operational planning by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The civic body’s most recent plan to hand over the facility to Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) last year also failed to materialise.Sources from the civic administration told TOI that a detailed study of the facility was carried out before the latest decision was taken, but it highlighted many technical challenges, leading to the conclusion that running the facility in its existing format was no longer viable.Some of the basic observations were that since the lot is over a decade old, parking slots available are meant for smaller cars and not big enough to accommodate SUVs and larger cars. Significant changes would have to be made to facilitate the same. Sources also said that the entire facility underwent a structural audit that proposed major repairs or dismantling.Now, PMC has initiated the tendering process to appoint an agency to pull down the structure. Officials said the plan will include dismantling of old and existing mechanical parking towers, including transportation, stacking, weighment, and allied works for the same.While this plan has been finalised, the administration is yet to decide on reconstructing a parking lot at the same spot, or how else utilised the vacant space. “We are still to finalize a plan regarding reconstruction of the entire facility or whether it can be used for other civic amenities,” a civic official said, requesting anonymity.Frequent visitors to the bustling JM Road, however, said PMC should commission a parking lot at the spot and this time, use it. Atul Jadhav, who often visits the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Garden on this stretch, said he routinely faces a huge challenge in finding parking space for his car. “JM Road is very busy and parking is a perennial challenge here. PMC has provided roadside parking and one civic parking lot is operational in the Deccan Gymkhana area, but these still have a limited capacity,” he pointed out.Local vendor Sachin Tupe said, "PMC should revive the multi-storeyed parking. If developed well, it will fetch good income for the administration and reduce problems of citizens when it comes to roadside parking, illegal halting of vehicles, etc.”