Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken a proactive step to resolve the persistent parking issues at Pune Metro stations by allocating ₹5 crore to develop designated parking facilities.
With the two Pune Metro corridors—Vanaz to Ramwadi and Pimpri-Chinchwad to Swargate—now operational, commuters have been facing difficulties due to the lack of proper parking spaces near stations.
Current Challenges Faced by Commuters
MahaMetro did not include parking provisions while designing the two metro routes. As a result, commuters are forced to park their vehicles wherever space is available near the stations, leading to long vehicle queues up to the station entrances and creating traffic congestion on busy roads. The PMC has now stepped in to address this oversight by MahaMetro.
Planned Action by PMC
The PMC is currently identifying its reserved amenity spaces, parking zones, PMPML bus depots, and truck terminal spaces around metro stations. A comprehensive plan will be prepared to convert these areas into parking facilities with the help of a consultant.
PMC officials have confirmed that ₹5 crore will be allocated for the development of these parking facilities. This move is expected to bring much-needed relief to metro commuters who have been facing inconvenience since the metro routes became operational.
Future Metro Extensions Also Lack Parking Provisions
Construction of the Swargate to Katraj metro corridor, which will have four stations, is set to begin soon. However, parking provisions have not been included for these stations either. In response, PMC’s project department has started gathering information on reserved land in the vicinity of this corridor, and it will develop parking spaces accordingly.
Parking Woes at Swargate Station
Swargate Metro Station, in particular, has faced severe parking challenges. Commuters arriving at the station on two-wheelers are unable to find a suitable parking space.
The adjacent Swargate ST bus stand parking facility only allows vehicles belonging to passengers using the bus service. This has frustrated metro commuters, forcing some to consider avoiding metro travel altogether.