The Srinagar administration has put up a charge list in many parts of Srinagar, suggesting that a car owner will have to shell out Rs 340 for parking on roads in the city.
The move is part of Smart City Mission which is being implemented across the country., Under the mission, Srinagar and Jammu cities are being developed to make them more citizen friendly, green and energy efficient.
Under the new arrangement, a car owner will have to pay Rs 20 for under 30 minute parking, Rs 40 for under one hour, Rs 70 for 89 minutes, Rs 100 for 119 minutes, Rs 140 for 149 minutes, Rs 180 for 179 minutes, Rs 230 for 209 minutes, Rs 280 for 239 minutes and Rs 340 for 269 minutes.
“The charges are too high for a city where on-road parking was free till recently. Kindly remember Srinagar does not have a decent public transport system. A high parking fee in the city is usually to encourage the use of a viable public transport system- invest in such as system,” Srinagar resident and author, Hakim Sameer Hamdani, wrote on Twitter.
The move has naturally evoked anger from the netizens, “People thrusting these taxes commute from Government Bungalows to AC offices (and back) with full security cover and hassle free traffic. 1.5 million populace of #Srinagar is at the mercy of their pen strokes,” wrote Gowhar Ali Ahanger, a development practitioner.
“The project is a cheap imitation of a Europe like city model but the main thing policy makers are missing is that lack of basic amenities and the people who are totally alien to such concepts. It’ll cause inconvenience and hit businesses within city,” an anonymous account wrote in response to Sameer’s tweet.
The administration in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital, is busy these days transforming the city at a fast pace. Selected as one of the cities to be converted into a "Smart City", the local administration is working round-the-clock to complete all works on time so as to be in a position to host a G20 meeting in the first week of May.
Currently the Srinagar administration has taken up over 80 projects, which includes a major revamp of roads, pathways, cycle tracks, market areas and other amenities. The local authorities are confident about completing the work to provide Srinagar with a new look, better facilities and a clean environment.