Traffic glut: LMC to pull up erring schools

THE LUCKNOW Municipal Corporation (LMC) has decided to serve notices to major schools in the city that have not arranged for parking facility inside their premises despite possessing space. Some schools, including St Francis, Cathedral, Loreto, etc, are to be served notices by the LMC soon. The first list of ‘erring schools’ prepared by the LMC includes these schools as they fall in the VVIP areas of Hazratganj and Raj Bhawan and cause major traffic problems during peak hours.

“These schools would be served notices by the LMC. After that the LMC would initiate tough legal action including imposition of heavy fine on these institutions for not arranging parking inside their premises. We would also take parking charges from these schools in addition to the fine,” said Acting Municipal Commissioner Santosh Kumar.

“The parking of vehicles outside these schools is a cause of concern for traffic movement. These schools must understand their responsibility towards society and allow parking inside their premises,” he added.  Meanwhile, District Magistrate and administrator of LMC RN Tripathi has accepted the recommendation of the LMC on raising parking charges in the city.

Meanwhile, Aminabad and Hazratganj traders expressed resentment and held a small demonstration  at Kaiserbagh crossing against the recent hike in parking charges by the LMC.  They demanded rollback of parking charges by the LMC.

Aminabad Traders Association general secretary Susheel Gurnani and president of Adarsh Vyapar Mandal Sanjay Gupta along with other representatives of Aminabad Traders Association and Hazratganj Traders Association held a talk with the DM in the presence of AMC Harveer Singh.

The traders presented a  memorandum to the DM for the rollback of hike in parking charges.  The district magistrate, who has all the power of executive committee, assured the traders of positive response in the days to come.

General secretary of Aminabad Traders Association Susheel Gurnani warned the LMC officials against raising the parking charges without taking the traders into confidence.

“Already we are suffering riots, bandhs and tension. Trade in Aminabad has recorded negative growth in the last few months. Aminabad is the market for the poor and middle class. It’s a conspiracy by those in malls and other big traders to keep the middle class and poor people away from Aminabad market.

But we will not allow this. There is no logic to increasing the parking rates every year,” said Gurnani and added, “ The traders will hit the roads if the rollback in the parking charges is not ordered by the LMC.”

The LMC, on its part, has invited tenders for the 60 parking lots in the city. In addition to these parking tenders the LMC has also issued notification for the tehbazari contracts at 53 places in the city. The tehbazari contracts are expected to invite another controversy as  Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has called on the local bodies in the state to abolish the practice of tehbazari in the state.