Shimla: To address the parking woes in Himachal, the state government is mulling to allow open sky parking in the state.
It was decided in a recent cabinet meeting to make a provision for open to sky parking in the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Rules, 2014, so as to meet the increasing parking requirement and ensure smooth flow of traffic on all major roads of the towns in the state.
Under this provision for all buildings located on valley side or hill sides of the roads and having minimum clear setback of 2 meters within the plot, after controlled width / retaining wall and having clear access from the road, open to sky parking (uncovered and parallel to the building) on 50 percent frontage of such setback shall be permissible.
In case of buildings on valley side, owners would be allowed to construct temporary steel frame structure / ramp on 50% frontage of such setback for open to sky parking.
The temporary parking platform so proposed should see through / perforated / meshed (not solid sheet) in order to have sufficient gaps / spaces for light and ventilation and should not obstruct any disaster management efforts and smooth flow of traffic on the abutting road and should be duly certified by a registered Structural Engineer.
A resident of Shimla, Umesh Sharma said that in view of the increasing number of vehicles the decision wills only some extent help to contain the problem.
It will only address around 2 to 5 percent of the parking problem, he added.
