Pune: A parking nightmare has started unfolding around the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Shivajinagar headquarters over the past two weeks, with a swarm of illegally parked vehicles virtually seizing the roads surrounding the old and new PMC buildings, causing severe congestion in the area during peak hours.Vehicular traffic began surging after the civic body resumed full-scale operations in the presence of corporators. A growing number of visitors arriving to meet corporators are unable to find parking. With limited space available, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has restricted vehicle entry into both premises, allowing only corporators’ vehicles, that too depending on availability. As a result, visitors are parking under the nearby Metro station and along adjoining roads.Amit Patil, who recently visited the PMC headquarters, said he spent nearly 15 minutes searching for a parking spot. Travelling with three colleagues to the civic body’s solid waste management department, Patil found his car barred from entering the premises, with no space available outside either. “Many visitors had even parked their cars on the river bridge,” he said.Like Patil, several regular commuters have urged the civic administration to implement a long-term solution. Nana Kale, who travels daily towards Pune Station via the PMC stretch, said heavy movement of PMPML buses added to the chaos. Bus stops on both sides of the PMC buildings serve as originating points for several routes, resulting in buses occupying at least one lane on each side. Meanwhile, visitors continue to park at the main gate of the old building on a clearly marked “No Parking” stretch.With hundreds of people visiting PMC headquarters every day, accommodating all vehicles inside the premises is not feasible. Civic officials acknowledged that although parking facilities existed in both buildings, capacity was limited. “For security reasons, visitors are permitted entry only after registering their names,” an official said.
