Panchkula’s mounting parking woes: No space, wrong place

Panchkula: Several sectors of Panchkula are grappling with an acute problem of wrong parking as shortage of dedicated parking spaces and weak on-ground management continue to plague the city. Vehicles are frequently found parked along roadsides, road verges, pavements and even cycle tracks, leading to regular traffic congestion and raising safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists.Key areas such as sectors 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15 and 20 are among the worst affected, with residents complaining that improper parking has become a daily nuisance. Commuters often face bottlenecks on internal roads as private vehicles occupy spaces that are not meant for parking.On their part, traffic police officials claim that enforcement has been stepped up. They said the number of challans for wrong parking has been increased and motorists are being penalised through online challans. Official data shows that 4,764 challans were issued in 2023, 3,428 in 2024 and 3,813 in 2025, while 1,134 challans have already been issued in the first three months of this year. Despite this, residents say violations remain unchecked.Residents pointed out that even premises under the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), the agency mandated to plan and manage urban infrastructure, have turned into hotspots for haphazard parking. Outside HSVP buildings, cars are often seen parked on roadsides, verges and open spaces.Demanding immediate corrective steps, residents have called for the creation of dedicated parking zones, better utilisation of vacant spaces and stricter enforcement to ease mounting pressure on city roads. Rakesh Agarwal, a member of Panchkula Vikas Manch, attributed the problem to poor long-term planning. Agarwal said parking issues were contributing to road rage incidents. "Road rage continues due to parking issues in streets. The administration should create more parking spaces and utilise the area behind showrooms for parking, like in Sector 11. Challaning is not going to be a deterrent as people will park on roads if they do not find space," he added.Citizens Welfare Association president S K Nayar echoed similar concerns and said enforcement alone had failed to bring relief. "Traffic police claimed they would act against wrong parking, but it is still rampant, causing chaos," he said. He also flagged lack of public transport options. "State transport facility is non-existent. I suggested to the state transport department to work on ring service. If mini buses pick/drop people on inner roads to main markets, less number of vehicles will be used and parking space issue will be resolved," Nayar said, adding that "there is a need for all departments to sit and work out ways, mainly creating parking spaces and managing existing facilities well."When contacted, Panchkula deputy commissioner Satpal Sharma said, "I have instructed both the HSVP and PMDA to work on creating parking infra."EOM... MSID:: 130022253 413 |