Visakhapatnam: Despite vigorous industrial growth and tourist inflow, the city continues to fall behind in civic infrastructure like multilevel parking places to address traffic woes at busy junctions.
Though the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation had planned such facility four years ago it failed to come out with a concrete plan and consequently vacant lands have become scarce due to many upcoming projects after bifurcation. The GVMC, in fact, proposed to provide multi-level parking places in the city to avoid traffic congestion and planned near RTC Complex, Ramakrishna Beach, Jagadamba Junc-tion and KGH OP gate in 2011. But, the proposals have not materialised.
Afterwards, the GVMC proposal again in 2013 under Public Private Partnership mode and that has also been trailing behind due to shortage of suitable vacant lands close to busy junctions. Officials intended to arrange the facilities at Dwarakanagar and also at RK beach thinking that lands of Andhra University would be available. But, the varsity has refused to provide land because proposals for premier educational institutions such as IIM are coming up in and around the city.
“Though we have been planning to set up the multi-level parking slots close to many junctions, non-availability of land is the main problem. Still, we are trying to arrange under PPP mode,” said a senior official from the GVMC. According to official records, 7 lakh vehicles ply on city roads, cars constitute 12 per cent of the vehicles, two-wheelers 73 per cent and the remainder 15 per cent autorickshaws and taxis. Demarcated parking lots are an absolute need, footpaths being overrun by parked vehicles.
