News
Car parks to go skywards as demand increases
The Government is planning to develop several multi-storeyed car parks around the Greater Colombo area as more and more vehicles enter the roads and the demand for parking space increases.
Urban Development Authority (UDA) Chairman Dr. Jagath Munasinghe revealed the Authority had drafted a set of proposals regarding the setting up of multi-storeyed public car parks in areas such as the Colombo Fort as well as along Baseline Road and Galle Road.
He observed that most of the development plans for Colombo were currently being redrawn as the latest development plan for the city had been drafted in 2007-2008. “It is time we update the plan with new development. The development of such car parks is part of the updating.”
As part of these plans, the UDA is planning to completely redevelop the area around Borella Junction and multi-storeyed car parks will be part of this development process.
Accordingly, car parks are due to come up in the Borella, Dematagoda and Narahenpita areas along Baseline Road. Several plots of land have already been identified as suitable lands to develop the car parks, Dr. Munasinghe added. These include lands belonging to the Department of Prisons at Welikada, which will become available once the prison complex is shifted out.
While the UDA is also looking to develop such car parks along Galle Road, the lack of land along this area is currently proving to be an obstacle, Dr. Munasinghe conceded. Attempts are continuing to identify any suitable lands in the area for development.
Cost of the car parks would vary, depending on their designs and the types of technologies that are available at the parks.
Meanwhile, the UDA has acquired a property belonging to Cargo Boat Development Company PLC at Janadhipathi Mawatha in Colombo Fort for the development of a multi-storeyed car park. However, the previous owner of the land had requested the Authority to divest the land in order to construct a multi-storeyed car park themselves. Dr. Munasinghe said the UDA had acquired the property sometime back but the compensation might not have been paid yet. Once the UDA finds out all the details regarding the acquisition process and any transactions, it would negotiate with the party. “If they want to go for the same kind of process, we would not have any problems. However, if they have a different type of proposal, we would have to reconsider as according to the UDA development plan; this area is earmarked for a multi-storey car park development.”