The recently opened Ahmedabad Metro has been chastised for its lack of parking facilities for commuters arriving at the station.
In its standing committee meeting, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) announced that it has decided to allot 18 plots within 500 metres of various metro stations to be used as parking facilities.
The catch, however, is as follows. The AMC has allotted the plots, according to Standing Committee Chairman Hitesh Barot, but parking will be at the owner’s risk, and the civic body will not be responsible for the parked vehicles.
The parking facilities will come up at plots close to Gujarat College railway over bridge, Helmet Overbridge, Helmet Circle, Gujarat Vidyapith to Income tax Crossroads, CG road- Stadium crossroads to Panchvati crossroads, Navrangpura Multi-Level parking, Mount Carmel to Mithakhali six roads, Gurudwara to Pakwan Crossroads etc.
Barot said the committee also discussed the huge plantation drive carried out by the civic body and the need to maintain the trees that have been planted. “A certain section of the Pirana dumpsite has been cleared and there is a plan to carry out a plantation drive there as well,” said Barot. He said the civic body will aggressively carry out a cleanliness drive in the city.
During the committee meeting members also raised a question as to how a model school construction cost Rs 4 crore while building a library cost Rs 13 crore.
Thennarasan takes charge as AMC chief
The Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee Chairman greeted M Thennarasan as he took charge as the new AMC commissioner. Thennarasan said the roads, water supply and cleanliness will be his focus during his stint. “We will also look at ways to augment AMC’s income and address the traffic issue,” he said.