’10 minutes for pick-up and drop’: People face parking pangs at railway station

While the Chandigarh Railway Station is undergoing a major facelift to give it a world-class look, the ongoing construction work has turned the station’s parking and pick-up zones into a daily ordeal for commuters. Those arriving to pick up or drop passengers allege that traffic congestion and poor management are forcing them to pay parking charges despite a 10-minute free window officially provided for pick-and-drop.

Construction of a new approach road and other infrastructure upgrades near the station entrance has narrowed available space. During the arrival of premium trains such as the Shatabdi Express and Vande Bharat Express, the situation worsens, with long queues of private vehicles and taxis choking the access road. As a result, motorists often spend most of their “free” time stuck in traffic even before reaching the pick-up corridor.

According to the current system, the parking contractor allows 10 minutes of free parking for pick-and-drop. However, once this limit is crossed, Rs 50 is charged for up to 30 minutes and Rs 100 for up to 60 minutes. Commuters, however, argue that given the prevailing congestion, exiting the station premises within the free time is nearly impossible.

Neeraj Ahuja, a resident of Kharar, experienced the chaos first-hand on Thursday when he reached the station to pick up his relatives arriving by the Vande Bharat Express at 3.35 pm.

“As I entered the parking area to pick up my relatives, I was given a slip mentioning 10 minutes as free time to pick up and exit. But when trains like Shatabdi and Vande Bharat arrive, the rush of private cars and taxis is so heavy that it becomes impossible to pick someone up and exit within 10 minutes,” Ahuja said.

He added that the train arrived slightly late, forcing him to wait in the pick-up corridor for another seven to eight minutes. “When I finally tried to exit the station, the parking staff stopped me and said I had crossed 32 minutes. I was then forced to pay Rs 100, which is charged for one hour. There is complete chaos at the Chandigarh Railway Station parking,” he said.

Similar complaints were voiced by Jagtar Singh, a resident of Zirakpur, who entered the pick-up lane around the same time. “The moment I entered, there was already chaos all around. Vehicles were barely moving. When I exited the parking premises, I was charged Rs 50 for half an hour, even though most of my time was wasted in the jam,” he said.

Outside the railway station, the main road is also in chaos, as there too taxis and autorickshaws are parked wrongly with buses from bus stop adding to the chaos, added Jagtar Singh.

Group Captain Sunil Bisht, a city resident who also visited the station on Thursday, said the problem was not new. “The chaos at the parking area is a regular affair. Nothing is properly managed there, especially during peak train arrivals,” he remarked.

A railway official, however, said that three booths had been proposed with boom barriers for the queue of vehicles, but at present there are just two of them. Soon, the third booth shall be set up with boom barrier which would decrease the long queues at exit of parking and the chaos.

Meanwhile, the contractor is allowing 10 minutes of free parking, the railway’s guidelines permit only six minutes free. When a train arrives, commuters and some taxi drivers park their vehicles on the road inside the parking lot, which sometimes lead to chaos, added the official.