In a bid to curb illegal parking near the Alipore Zoo, mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department minister, Firhad Hakim, has directed to allow additional space at Somponno for parking of vehicles. The decision comes following complaints of illegal parking around the area. According to the mayor of KMC, the present parking space at the multi-storey vehicle parking facility at Somponno is fully used already.

On the other hand, the crowds have been swelling at Alipore Zoo, one of the city’s hottest winter destinations, and the volume of vehicles has increased as a result. Therefore, the demand for parking space has also gone up. Considering this, the KMC has decided to open two additional floors at Somponno for being used for parking to accommodate as many vehicles as possible. “There were two floors that were allotted to one of the hospitals.

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But the space is empty now and there is nobody now,” informed Mr Hakim. “An order has been given for temporarily utilising the space for parking,” added the mayor. According to Mr Hakim, some manpower would also be deployed at the multistorey vehicle parking facility for collection of parking fees.

This, the mayor, would also help in generating more revenue for the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO). Later, a tender would also be floated by HIDCO for handling the task of parking on the additional two floors at Somponno.