Chandigarh: Paid parking to resume at Sector 26 grain market

After a gap of four years, the Chandigarh administration is set to resume paid parking at Sector 26 grain market. A ₹1-crore tender will be floated next week, under which shoppers will be required to pay for parking their vehicles, while farmers will be exempt from paying the parking fees.

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Currently, parking on the grain market premises is free, but visitors struggle with unorganised parking and frequent traffic congestion. This time, the tender includes a provision that no parking fee will be collected at the entry gate. The move follows an earlier intervention by the Punjab and Haryana high court, which led to legal action against the previous contractor for charging fee at the entrance.

According to the administration, the parking charges at market will match those levied by the municipal corporation in its parking lots. Four years ago, the previous parking contract was cancelled, even though it had been allotted for ₹2.21 crore.

The Sector 26 grain market attracts shoppers from across the tricity, as well as wholesalers from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. However, severe parking shortage within the market often leads to vehicles getting stuck. The proposed tender has already been submitted by the market committee to the administration for approval.

As per UT administration, the delay in implementing paid parking has resulted in a revenue loss of ₹10 crore. Under the new contract, the paid parking facility will operate 24×7, and fees will only be collected within the designated parking area. Additionally, passes will be issued to commission agents (arhtiyas).