Rajuk's call to restore inhouse parking has been ignored by all multi-storied building owners.

Rajuk said, they have recently served notices to all multi-storied building owners urging them to have parking facilities in their structures, as required by law within June 25.

Responding to an allegation that Rajuk was indiscriminately approving plans for multi-storied buildings and shopping malls without assuring parking facilities, a Rajuk official said the parking provision existed in all the plans but the owners converted that space into offices or shops.

Rajuk is also alleged to be ignoring zoning provisions of the city and allowing shopping centres at busy Intersections without the slightest regard for

traffic.

Hundreds of such buildings are creating traffic jams all over the city. There are hundreds more now under construction.

Rajuk chairman. M Azizul Haque told The Daily Star, his office would start a drive for implementing the regulation, soon. "We will move door-to-door and ensure that owners abide by the law. If necessary we will resort to legal action against offenders." Haque warned.

The chairman said it was necessary for the owners of these buildings to realise how much problem they were creating by not having parking facilities inside their premises.

Rajuk sources said they have flagged quite a few buildings in

the city, which has increasingly become a nuisance. Another official added, almost all these buildings have converted their parking lot into offices or shops.

The glaring example is the Pir Yemeni market located at one of the busiest junctions of the city near the GPO. This person has converted the parking facility into shops that sell mosquito nets." informed a Rajuk official.

In another instance at Dhanmondi road-1 BEXIMCO bought a land which they claim, is outside the residential area. Officials differed: They are using the road, electricity and water of Dhanmondi residential area. The 14-storied commercial building called Bell Tower has only ten parking spuceb in the underground.

The building now uses road-1 as Its parking lot for hundreds of visitors and its own fleet of cars day and night. Residents said, at times the area gets so crowded with cars that it becomes a traffic nightmare.

“It seems they" have bought up the entire area to run their business." said a resident who sent several complaints to Rajuk and police but they have gone unanswered.

Rajuk sources said, they were well aware of the problem but could not do anything against the offenders. "If the

Prime Minister takes steps to solve the problem, only then can we move. Otherwise, we are afraid we will lose our jobs, if we take action," a Rajuk official said requesting anonymity. .