According to DMTCL sources, three organizations have been given the responsibility for parking management at the three stations under two-year contracts. Master Enterprise has been given the responsibility at Uttara North, Mahi International at Uttara Center, and Bhumis Limited at Uttara South.
At Uttara North metro station, DMTCL's fixed fare list for parking has been put up. According to the list, 60 taka has been fixed for cars or jeeps for up to two hours, 30 taka for motorcycles, 10 taka for bicycles, and 70 taka for microbus or Hiace. In addition, monthly parking arrangements have also been kept.
On Saturday (August 22), confirming the parking lease matter, DMTCL's marketing manager Md. Osman Goni said that the system has been introduced considering the convenience of metro rail users. He claimed that the disorder and suffering caused to passengers boarding and alighting due to vehicles being parked haphazardly in the station-adjacent areas have decreased to a large extent after the introduction of the parking system.
He further said that if anyone other than the designated three organizations collects money in the name of parking, action will be taken against them. The parking fee has been fixed based on agreement with the lessees. However, the lessee organizations can charge less than the fixed rate if they want.
However, mixed reactions have been seen among passengers over the parking system. Some said that since it has created scope for safe parking for commuting by metro rail after leaving vehicles, it is a positive initiative. Especially, the designated parking facility will be useful for those who leave their vehicles and commute by metro rail due to traffic congestion.
On the other hand, several passengers complained that even if someone stops at the station for a short time to pick up or drop off passengers, attempts are being made to collect parking fees. According to them, for the parking system to be effective, the matter of passenger boarding/alighting and actual parking should be considered separately.
A driver said that the introduction of parking has created an opportunity to keep vehicles safely, which is positive. However, if parking fees are also taken for a short stop to pick up or drop off passengers, it could create confusion. The matter can be resolved through proper management.
Some metro rail passengers have also raised questions about whether effective measures are being taken to control the disorder caused by autorickshaws and various vehicles standing for long periods on the roads below the stations. According to them, on the one hand fees are being collected for parking, while on the other hand more strictness is needed regarding illegally or haphazardly stationary vehicles.
DMTCL has said that the parking system has been introduced using the stations' own vacant space. Earlier, various vehicles standing haphazardly in these areas caused problems for passenger movement. The main goal of this initiative is to reduce that disorder through proper management.
Earlier, on January 8, DMTCL published a notice for leasing space for setting up parking stands for cars, motorcycles and bicycles at the ground level of Uttara North, Uttara Center and Uttara South metro stations. Through that process, three organizations were given responsibility for operating parking.
