Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, July 24: The parking system at Tatanagar railway station continues to draw flak from commuters and residents, as the agency in charge is collecting parking fees without completing necessary infrastructure. Daily disputes are being reported due to the lack of proper arrangements, prompting Railway SP Rishabh Garg to intervene.
During an inspection of the station’s parking and dropping line on Wednesday, SP Garg found multiple discrepancies and sent a letter to Chakradharpur DRM Tarun Huria, urging immediate corrective action. In his communication, he highlighted that the automatic electric boom barrier and GPS-enabled computer-generated slip system have yet to be installed. Currently, slips are issued manually, which has become a key source of arguments between the parking staff and commuters.
“The system is incomplete. An automatic setup will reduce disputes. CCTV cameras and electronic slip systems must be installed urgently,” said SP Garg. He also stressed the need for security personnel at the entry and exit points of both the parking and dropping lines.
Additionally, SP Garg instructed the parking agency to collect fees only from designated areas. “Any fee collection outside authorized zones will lead to strict action,” he warned.
Though staff are now seen wearing yellow T-shirts with company logos and photo ID cards, some employees are still not in uniform. Moreover, 23 CCTV cameras, which are part of the parking plan, have not yet been installed.
Notably, the new agency acquired the main gate parking contract for Rs 7 crore — more than double the Rs 3 crore contract taken by the previous agency in 2022 for both ends of the station. To recover their investment, the operator must generate around Rs 65,000 daily, which many believe is leading them to overstep their boundaries and charge commuters unfairly.
A recent incident involved a commuter being forcibly removed from his vehicle, leading to a written complaint to the Railway SP.
