Vehicles increase, parking space shrinks on Panjab University campus

Vehicles were parked in a no parking zone in front of Dr Mulk Raj Anand Auditorium, despite the parking being at a walking distance from the spot.

A security official on duty there said, “This issue exists because we are less in number. Wherever we are deployed we make sure that this problem does not arise, at least near that area” and added that if more guards were deployed at other major spots on campus, the problem of congested roads will be fixed.

At many places inside the premises, especially around the admin block where there are hardly any teaching departments, cars have been parked right in front of sign boards that read ‘No Parking, Tow Away Zone’.

“All this rush on the roads and cars parked in no parking areas are because of the people who are coming to the University for admission. Since its is admission time, the security staff is being lenient. Otherwise once the session begins we will make sure that there are no haphazardly parked cars will be seen here near the admin block,” said Renuka Salwan, University DPR.

Ashwani Koul, Chief of University security agreed with the DPR and added, “People who come from different cities usually come in their personal vehicles and do not usually know the way so we let them go. Although this is not the place to park the cars.”

The university provides an e-rickshaw service within the campus at a cost of Rs 10 per ride. “The number of e-rickshaws running within the University is currently not enough to cater to the rush that the university is experiencing every day”, said a security officer. The e-rickshaw service could be a potential solution to the problem.

The security officials have hardly towed away any vehicles and cannot impose fines on vehicles parked in the no parking zones, making the problem recurring.