Multi Storey Vehicle Parking Initiatives in Kathmandu

The trouble of parking in the busy places like shopping malls, multiplexes, business centres and other public service providing areas will end soon as the recent Building Code for commercial complex has provisioned that multi storey buildings in municipal areas must allocate at least two floors for parking. Parking facility at least on two floors is mandatory (excluding the cases of technically unfeasible) to get approval of the building design from the municipality. This move of the government is expected to address the problem of parking in coming days. The government is also gearing efforts to develop multi-storey and underground parking facilities in various places in the Kathmandu valley to address this persistent problem of parking and to better manage the traffic as poor and haphazard parking affects traffic mobility. Some of the proposed parking facilities are already under construction, some under study and land acquisition. A multi-storey building with parking facility in the bus park area of Bagh Bazar has recently got approval from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to start construction. The project is being developed in public private partnership (PPP) model and is expected to complete in two and half years. Three construction companies - Swachhand Nirman Sewa, Jaleshwor Construction Company and Bkoi Builders are involved in the project development. Reportedly, the developers will hand over the project to the government after 30 years of lease. Initially, the government had allowed 29 storeys or the multipurpose building that includes three floors including underground and basement for parking and remaining floors for mall, multiplex, food courts and other facilities but after the devastating earthquake of April 25, the government instructed to bring it down to 14 floors including the underground parking facility. The project is expected to cost of Rs 3.5 billion, according to Jaya Ram Lamichhane, owner of the Swachhand Nirman Sewa. "The underground two floors will be used for car and motorcycle parking, the basement will be developed with the facility of bus parking, and the remaining floors will have shops, food courts, theatre and other facilities. Similarly, the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) is also developing a multi-storey building for parking at the TIA premises. The parking facility will come into operation within two months, according to Devanand Upadhyaya, General Manager of TIA. The multi-storey building for car parking facility will accommodate 550 cars/ taxis and the upper floors of the building will be used for shops and offices. Star hotels being built have also taken into consideration similar parking facilities on their premises. The Sheraton Hotel in Keshar Mahal has allocated two underground floors for parking. Other five star Hotels in Kathmandu currently do not have the same. The Sheraton Hotel in Kathmandu, owned by Sesh Ghale, President of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) is scheduled to come into operation by the end of 2018. Another one is the Chhaya Centre in Thamel, spread over 14 ropanis of land in Thamel developed by banker Prithvi Bahadur Pande. The premises will have parking facility in two underground floors for around 400 cars at once and will utilise a mechanical lift. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City is also preparing to develop a multi-storey building in Dharmapath of Kathmandu with sufficient parking facility on 3-4 floors with the remaining for shops. According to KMC officials, a feasibility study of the multipurpose building with multi-storey car parking facility is being initiated soon. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has also commissioned a feasibility study of underground parking in Khula Manch of Kathmandu and in Lainchaur where the Social Welfare Council is located. "We have started the process of land acquisition in both places to develop underground parking," said Rudra Singh Tamang, Chief Executive of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. These parking facilities will be developed on a PPP model. "We will call for expression of interest (EoI) from private parties after the government approves our proposal to develop underground facility," said Tamang. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development will soon forward the proposal to the Cabinet seeking approval. The two projects combined will serve at least 2,000 cars each at one time. The government is also planning to develop an Administrative Plaza in Baharmahal where the tax office is located with parking facility in at least three floors.