by Manjeet Agnihotri (9871012356)
The roads in Noida are getting choked with an increasing number of vehicles day by day. In the last decade, the city has witnessed unprecedented growth in the construction of residential,
office and shopping complexes. While the city has adorned a more modern look with the construction of ultra-modern residential and commercial complexes its roads are choked in the absence of adequate parking spaces and whatever remaining parking space is available has been encroached upon thereby causing cars to be parked on the road.
We have a harrowing experience when we go to the market or the ECHS dispensary in Arun Vihar. There is absolutely no parking space for cars. Where do we park our car if we have to visit the doctor or pick up a thing from the market? We can see that the residents park their cars on both sides of the road hardly leaving any space for even one car to move on the road and if two cars come from opposite directions then both get stuck until one of them has to go all the way back to a spot where there is more space. For bigger cars and SUVs it is very difficult to move about inside the sector without scraping either side against a parked car which results in a big fight between the owners. The footpaths have been encroached by unnecessary barbed wires and poles dug ruthlessly by people. Also outside the boundary walls of different wards people have put different barricades for no reason leading to parking woes. The unauthorised barricades and fencing should be stopped by the Noida Authority to allow the people to park cars near hospitals, clubs and neighbourhood market places.
They seem to have a misconception that the space outside their houses is owned by them. No! It is as much ours as is theirs. Because it is a public space. Curse the Authority as much as they want for not planning ahead or the growing population, or ever-increasing traffic – but they have absolutely no right to block the public area!
This problem is mostly caused due to the fact that the space outside each house meant for parking cars has been encroached upon by people to make small gardens and then conveniently park their cars on the road undeterred by the problem faced by others due to this. Some residents have also made little personal garages or parking sheds on the roadsides Residents must be sensitive towards this issue and ensure that their extended garden or garage is not causing problems for other.
