Patna: The city’s first multi-level semi-automatic parking facility, located behind Buddha Smriti Park near Patna Junction, is still not serving the purpose for which it was built around nine years ago. Made operational in 2016, the facility remains underutilised by vehicle owners due to poor road connectivity. About a year ago, it was decided to convert the site into a vending zone for shopkeepers, but the plan has yet to materialise. Two floors of the G+3 building are used for parking garbage vehicles of the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) and other commuters while the third floor remains deserted. The ground floor has been designated for an auto stand, but it is instead being used as a passage for passengers to reach Patna Junction as well as for gambling and other illegal activities. The first floor is used for parking cars belonging to the general public while the second floor is reserved for PMC vehicles involved in garbage collection and transportation. The multi-level car parking facility, spanning G+3 floors, was inaugurated by CM Nitish Kumar in Feb 2016. However, its accessibility from Budh Marg has resulted in poor usage. The narrow entry and exit routes continue to deter vehicle owners from using the facility. “Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited constructed the parking facility at a cost of Rs 13 crore. The presence of an auto stand, street vendors’ encroachments and traffic congestion near Ashok Cinema (K P Mall) has resulted in low usage. Consequently, the corporation planned to repurpose the spacious facility into a vending zone to accommodate numerous street vendors,” a PMC official said. A security guard deployed at the PMC workstation inside the G+3 building, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ground floor beside the parking entrance has been designated for an auto stand. However, very few autos are actually parked inside. Instead, the space has become a hub for gambling, operated by four or five people. “From evening to midnight, some transgenders and women involved in the flesh trade use the deserted and dark place as a safe haven for their business. They not only operate their business but also snatch cash and other valuables from their customers. A police raid was carried out about a week ago, leading to the arrest of the gambling operators. But the business has resumed,” the guard added. The building, initially designed for car parking, features an open area with concrete pillars. According to the plans, the corporation will construct a concrete box-type structure, approximately 6-8 feet in size, with a platform about 2-3 feet high from the ground. This platform will serve as a selling space for vendors while the area beneath it can be used for storing their belongings. A member of the empowered standing committee of PMC and councillor of ward-48, Indradeep Chandravanshi, said, “The street vendors currently operating near Patna Junction will be relocated to the converted multi-level parking building. The idea is to provide an organised and designated space for the vendors while also decongesting the area around the junction. The plan will be executed further after removing the illegal encroachments from the area.”
