LAHORE: The city`s civic authorities appear to have no workable solution for Lahore`s worsening parking crisis, with plansfor setback areasinfront ofbuildings and construction of parking plazas remaining largely on paper.

Deputy Commissioner Syed Musa Raza blames the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the Traffic Engineering & Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) for the persistent chaos. But LDA Director General (DG) Tahir Farooq dismisses the idea of parking plazas altogether, calling them an ineffective remedy for the city`s growing urban challenges.

Local residents continue to suffer. In most congested parts of the city, especially commercial areas, people have no choice but to park on roadsides, which aggravates traffic congestion and contributes to the city`s worsening pollution levels.

`I call LDA the Lahore DestructionAuthority, not the Lahore Development Authority. Just name a place in Lahore with a properly regulated parking system,` said Ajaz Anwar, president of the Lahore Conservation Society.

Speaking to Dawn on Sunday, he criticised the government`s failure to provide affordable and efficient public transport.

`The existing systems like the Orange Line and Metrobus have not eased traffic. Why? Because there is no proper parking system alongside these routes to allow people to leave their cars and use public transport.

He added that this issue is not just about traffic jams, it is deeply tied to environmental concerns, including smog and pollution.

`Whenever the government plans a project, they only look for something that shows on the ground. They ignore long-term sustainability and functionality.

According to Mr Anwar, a serious andcomprehensive study is urgently needed to assess the extent of the problem and offer realistic solutions.

DC Raza said that much of the problem stems from commercial buildings failing to leave setback area for parking, often in collusion with LDA officials.

`There are several buildings in Lahore without any setback area. This results in severe traffic congestion, parking chaos, and environmental degradation,` he said.

He said that five underground parking sites have recently been approved by the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival (LAHR) along Circular Road from Bhaati Gate onwards, with work expectedtostartsoon.

As for the Lahore Parking Company (LPC), which he also heads, Mr Raza said the company had long been operating at a loss and only recently achieved a breakeven point. `We`re already regulating several parking spots, but the company lacks the capacity and resources to initiate and manage large-scale parkingplaza projects.

He added that a combination of strict enforcement of setback rules, expansion of efficient public transport, and identification of new parking sites is essential to deal with the city`s parking mess.

LDA DG Farooq admitted the facts related to parking and said he has reprimanded TEPA for not regulating the parking affairs efficiently.

`I have withdrawn certain powers of Tepa through which they (the officers) used to extort money. Now, the Tepa cannot issue the traffic impact assessment report to anyone,` he said, and added that setback area related issues existed only at the old buildings. He said the LDA had not approved any building plan lacking setback areas for parking. `For this, we have launched a drive first directing schools to develop a dedicated parkinglanein theirbuildingareas.

`After this, we will start forcing the owners of the building having no setback to do so,` he said.