Residents in Trongsa town are still waiting for the district administration to construct the planned four-storeyed multi-level car parking in the town. With the construction works nowhere in sight, residents are still faced with acute parking congestion. However, it is now not known whether the much-awaited facility would be built at all.
When the district administration made public the plans to construct the multi-level car parking last year, it came as music to the ears of the residents. Works were initially planned to begin in June last year, with a budget of around Nu 50 M.
Today, nothing much has changed in the town. Cars can be seen parked along the highway as in the past, congesting the main lane.
“When people park their cars along the main street, they have to keep their hazard lights on. This drains out the car battery, causing inconveniences. We heard about a plan to construct multi-level parking but it has not begun. Similarly, the taxi parking is also very small. It can accommodate 12 taxis only but we have around 40 here,” said Penjor, a representative of the Taxi Association.
“Not having a proper bus parking is a major problem we face here. As we have to pull over along the highway, accidents could happen when passengers load their luggage. We would be grateful if the parking space issue is addressed,” said Yeshi, a passenger bus driver.
“It usually takes around half an hour for customers to buy goods from our shops. They have to keep their hazard lights on the entire time. This is inconvenient for them,” said Dawa, a shopkeeper.
“There is temporary parking along the main street but it gives problem to the commuters. For instance, when the trucks carrying timber and sand from Bumthang and Punakha pass through the town, it takes a lot of time for the small cars while trying to give way for them,” said Phuntsho Namgay, a commuter.
Trongsa’s Chief District Engineer, Tharchen said the works could not begin due to budget constraints.
He added, “We had received Nu 120 M as an annual grant. Out of which more than Nu 30 M had to be spent for completing spillover activities. So, the remaining fund would be enough to take up the multi-level parking only which would otherwise mean compromising on the other developmental activities of sectors.”
However, the district administration acknowledges the issues faced by the people. They are now planning to propose the construction of the facility in the 13th Five-Year-Plan although it is not known if the construction would be approved.
For now, people will have to keep grappling with the parking congestion until a workable solution is found.
Sonam Tshering, Trongsa
Edited by Kipchu
