The Himachal Pradesh government has announced that it will soon implement a new policy that will allow the opening of building basements for parking, providing much-needed relief to residents grappling with a severe parking crunch in urban areas. The move will benefit thousands of people who face difficulties in parking their vehicles due to the shortage of parking spaces.
At present, the basements of buildings are closed, but the new policy will allow the owners of buildings built along the road to convert their basements into parking lots. The initiative was promised by the Congress party during the Municipal Corporation Shimla elections, and officials have already begun consultations to implement the policy.
The Town and Country Planning Department will prepare the rules for the policy, which will help ease the growing parking problem in Himachal Pradesh. The state sees an influx of 250 to 300 new vehicles every month, exacerbating traffic congestion and making parking a major issue.
With the new policy in place, people will no longer have to park their vehicles on the sides of roads, which often results in fines and traffic congestion. The decision to open building basements for parking is a welcome move, given the limited availability of space in urban areas.
Previously, the former BJP government had planned to build temporary iron parking lots on the setback of buildings, but the space proved to be insufficient. Industries Minister Harsh Vardhan Chouhan has assured the public that the government will soon open the basements of buildings and provide parking facilities for vehicle owners.
The move has been welcomed by residents and is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion in the state’s urban areas.
