Let’s go ‘Ganjing’: Hazratganj’s parking nightmare gets a valet cure

In Hazratganj, where circling cars, blaring horns and roadside parking have long slowed traffic to a crawl, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has introduced a new valet parking service, ‘Ganjing’, aimed at moving vehicles off the streets and into organised parking spaces.

The initiative allows four-wheeler owners to pull up at designated drop-off points, hand over their keys, and continue with their shopping or work while valet staff park the vehicles in nearby multi-level parking facilities. A phone call later brings the vehicle back to a nearby pickup point.

For years, Hazratganj’s busy 1-km commercial stretch has struggled with roadside parking despite the presence of two nearby parking facilities. Vehicles lined up along roadsides often narrowed lanes, slowed traffic movement and resulted in frequent challans and towing drives by traffic police.

Prathamesh Kumar, LDA vice chairman, said the service is designed to address this issue by making parking easier for visitors. “We want people to stop parking on roads. By offering a hassle-free valet option, we are making structured parking more accessible and attractive,” he said.

The valet service is operational daily from 11 am to 11 pm. Users are issued a receipt carrying a contact number, allowing them to request their vehicle whenever needed, removing the need to walk back to distant parking lots.

Officials said the service will cost around ₹146 for the first two hours for four-wheelers, while only parking charges will apply beyond that. The project is being run under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Six valet points have been planned on both sides of Hazratganj, stretching from Atal Chowk towards the DM camp office and from Sarojini Naidu underground parking to Atal Chowk. Drop-off zones have been created near metro entry and exit gates and other busy locations. Temporary canopies, signboards and road markings are being installed to make the points visible to commuters.

Abhishek Dubey, representative of the private agency managing the service, said operations are currently in the trial phase. “At present, users are paying between ₹80 and ₹120 as per convenience. We will standardise the charges after a month,” he said, adding that permanent canopies are expected by June.

Shopkeepers in the area said the move could reduce inconvenience for customers whose vehicles were often towed for roadside parking. However, officials said some motorists are still stopping their cars along roads near valet points, which could affect the service’s purpose if the practice continues.