Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a multi-level parking lot, which can accommodate around 400 vehicles across six storeys, in southwest Kolkata’s Alipore on Monday.
Officials of the PWD, which has built the structure opposite the women’s correctional home, said this was the biggest government-run parking facility in Kolkata.
The facility, which will be functional from Wednesday and maintained by the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation, has an open food court spread across 5,500sq ft.
“I’ve named this Somponno (complete). This parking lot has been built in a way that it will cater to those visiting the Alipore zoo, Uttirno (a multi-facility cultural complex), Alipore museum and Dhana Dhanye (an indoor stadium under construction). This will ensure cars aren’t parked on roads,” Mamata said.
The multi-level parking lot in Alipore. Pradip Sanyal
“Someone may be visiting the zoo with kids. It might take three hours for him to complete the tour. If the car is parked on a road for three hours, the road space becomes narrower.
“The parking rate for cars will be Rs 35 an hour, for two-wheelers Rs 11 an hour and for buses Rs 70 an hour, said a senior Hidco official.
Built at a cost of around Rs 50 crore, the parking facility has escalators and ramps. “It has separate sections for cars and two-wheelers. Buses will be accommodated on the ground floor,” another official said.
“Parkomat on Rawdon Street can accommodate around 210 cars. Once it becomes operational, Somponno will be the biggest government-run parking lot in the city,” the official said.
The chief minister said Somponno would have four more storeys.
She instructed Hidco officials on the dais to ensure the gates of Dhana Dhanye are ready by April so the facility can be inaugurated by Poila Boishakh.
At the programme, the chief minister also virtually inaugurated a control room from where police and the transport department will track vehicles.
She also asked mayor Firhad Hakim to ensure the skywalk in Kalighat was ready at the earliest.