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PMC may unlock unused amenity spaces to tackle parking crisis
PMC begins exercise to identify and use amenity spaces that have remained idle for years to ease the growing parking crisis in busy areas
Pune: To ease the growing parking crisis in busy areas across the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has begun a major exercise to identify and use amenity spaces that have remained idle for years. The civic body has already identified 100 such locations along metro lines 1, 2 and 3. These spaces, originally reserved for public use under the Development Plan (DP), have either remained undeveloped or are being used for purposes other than those approved.
Officials said that the PMC will prepare a detailed report on parking within a month. The project department has shortlisted 100 amenity spaces on the Ramwadi–Vanaz, Swargate–Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and Hinjewadi–Shivajinagar metro corridors. Of these, 31 locations have been finalised to be converted into dedicated parking lots near metro stations. The move is aimed at reducing roadside parking, easing congestion and improving last-mile connectivity with the metro.
Dinkar Gojare, chief superintendent engineer of PMC’s project department, said that the civic body has already completed a survey of 100 amenity spaces on these three metro lines, and identified 31 spaces for parking purposes. “The PMC will develop these sites and use them for parking to ease traffic problems around metro stations. This will help regulate traffic and support enforcement by the police,” he said.
Gojare further said that the PMC has identified four amenity spaces specifically for parking along metro line 3 in Baner and Balewadi. These locations will be developed into proper parking lots and operated by the civic body. “In the first phase, we have identified 100 amenity spaces along the three metro routes, and 31 have already been finalised for parking purposes,” he said.
The proposal for converting these amenity spaces into parking lots has been forwarded to the building permission and development department for approval. Officials said that the civic body is also reviewing all parking spaces marked in the DP to determine whether they are being used as intended. The project department is preparing a detailed presentation on available parking spaces and reserved amenity plots.
A senior official of the building permission and development department said that though many amenity spaces are reserved for community facilities, parks, playgrounds or public utilities, they have not been developed for years. In some cases, the spaces are being used for community halls or other structures that are not aligned with the DP. “A lot of amenity plots are either lying idle, misused or encroached upon,” the official said.
The PMC currently controls nearly 150 hectares (about 370 acres) of amenity land spread across 850 parcels within city limits. Another 122 acres from the recently merged villages under the PMRDA will also come under the PMC’s jurisdiction soon. However, officials admit that large portions of this land are encroached upon, misused, or leased under outdated and poorly monitored agreements.
As per civic officials, using unused amenity land for proper parking will help reduce traffic chaos, especially in areas where more people are using the metro. The plan will create hundreds of new parking slots across the city, and reduce pressure on crowded roads..
