What further adds to the woes is the fact that with the planning of the city near completion, there is hardly any space left that could be utilised to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles. As the problem continues to severe, the administration is mooting different ideas to deal with the situation. Authorities also claim that all the recently opened showrooms and markets have been given ample space to make construct parking space within.

Residentspeak

Rohini Sharma, a resident of Sector 11, Panchkula says, "With the increase in the per capita income of the city residents, maintaining a car is no more a luxury. Rather, cars equal the number of members in a family. But people fail to realise that with the increase in the number of vehicles, there is not only a problem to find a suitable parking space but also to tackle the heavy traffic on the roads, a common sight these days." She further adds that also due to the lack of proper parking space in the various sector markets, shopping is turning into a tiring process.

Mohit Kapoor, a Sector 7-based doctor opines that the problem of parking could be solved if all different departments like the traffic police, the administration and the residents cooperate with each other. "The administration needs to coordinate with various departments to tackle the problem. The problem is all the more evident in Sectors 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 where thousands of residents visit on daily basis. Also, various market associations should contribute to arrange for security guards who could help checking haphazard parking in the markets," Kapoor says.

Subhash Gosh, a resident of Sector 9 adds, "Forget about parking outside private offices and showrooms, a view outside the government buildings is a clear example of how serious the administration is to solve the problem. For example, parking outside the HUDA office in Sector 6 is a Herculean task. Despite the fact that they have a basement parking, it is not being used, forcing people to park their vehicles on the main road thereby creating nuisance and also making the area accident prone." It is only the will on the part of the authorities that is required to find suitable solutions for the issue, he says.

Officialspeak

Talking to Newsline, a senior officer of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) said on the condition of anonymity, "We are very well aware of the problem that has emerged in a big way. It is for this that we are widening the existing parking lots and converting all the possible wasteland near the sector markets into parking lots. Also, the administration has earmarked one-acre land in Sector 5 where the first of its kind multi-level parking will be constructed. A totally new concept in the state, if that succeeds, we plan to have many more in the city, as this seems to be the only option to deal with the problem of parking."