Passengers arriving on the Chandigarh railway station’s Panchkula facet are discovering themselves caught in a perplexing scenario—pressured to pay parking prices even for the briefest pick-up or drop-off.
A board exterior the station declares no decide and drop facility, additional itemizing entry payment charges. Even bicycles usually are not exempt. (HT Picture)
This levy is compelling drivers of auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws and taxis to keep away from coming into the station premises altogether, leaving passengers to navigate a substantial distance, typically burdened with baggage, simply to succeed in the primary entrance.
The basis of the issue lies in a transparent directive displayed on the station: “Pick and drop facility is not available.”
This is applicable even to automobiles pausing for beneath two minutes. For taxis and cabs, entry attracts a ₹40 cost, whereas e-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws face a ₹20 payment. Astonishingly, even bicycles are topic to an entry value.
“The passengers often want us to drop them near the entrance, but it is not possible because whatever we earn will be given in parking,” lamented Balwinder, an auto driver, echoing the sentiment of many.
The influence on passengers is palpable. Rama, a 72-year-old traveller laden with two heavy baggage, shared her ordeal: “My train is at 3.30 pm, but I arrived here more than an hour ago because I’ve to walk all the way to the entrance as there are charges for vehicles even for entering. It is so unfair for the auto drivers and for us too.”
Her expertise will not be an remoted incident. The parking payment is triggered the second a car enters the designated lane, without any consideration during the cease. On-ground observations affirm that even automobiles halting for lower than a minute are charged the total quantity.
Desperation has pushed some to take issues into their very own palms. A makeshift path, carved via a broken part of fencing, has emerged as a dangerous and unauthorised short-cut, starkly illustrating the passengers’ predicament and their feeling of being deserted.
Anil Verma, a passenger stranded after arriving from Uttar Pradesh, recounted his expertise, “I had five pieces of luggage, and my auto driver said he’ll charge ₹50 extra just to enter. That’s the entry fee alone, not his fare. He’s helpless, and so are we. I had no option but to squeeze through that bent fence with my family.”
When contacted in regards to the situation, senior divisional business supervisor Naveen Kumar Jha defended the system, stating, “Parking is a mode of revenue generation, but the rates have been kept reasonable. Certainly not as high as ₹200 or ₹500, like those charged at airport.”
He acknowledged the entry situation on the Panchkula facet, mentioning ongoing development to deal with it.
Jha defined that the present six-month short-term parking contract was applied following quite a few complaints of auto theft and a scarcity of accountability.
“No authority, including the police, took ownership earlier. So we had to ensure safety and security through this system, hence the charges. If commercial drivers or unions are unwilling to pay the nominal charges, that is beyond our control,” he asserted.
This isn’t the primary occasion of such considerations on the Chandigarh railway station.
The platform 1 facet confronted related challenges in 2022 when a brand new parking system was launched.
Whereas it provided a six-minute free grace interval for non-commercial automobiles, passengers nonetheless reported overcharging, confusion and disputes with parking attendants. The free entry interval for the non-public car was ultimately elevated to 10 minutes.
However the absence of an identical facility on the Panchkula facet continues to be a supply of serious inconvenience and frustration for passengers.
Makes an attempt to acquire a remark from station superintendent JP Singh on the matter remained unsuccessful.