LAHORE - Excess is bad in all shapes. The dictum enshrined in the preceding line applies to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) in the case of shifting full focus towards demolishing illegal high-rise buildings, leading to a sharp decline in concentration on all heavy-budgeted development projects including Citys second multi-storey parking plaza at Liberty near the United Christian Hospital (UCH) costing Rs500 million. Owing to LDA and TEPAs overwhelming involvement in pulling down plazas completely and partially, the project of 7-storey parking plaza has fallen short of its deadline. The parking plaza was to be completed in December 2009 as per the announcement made by CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif while laying down foundation stone of the project on July 31, 2009. However, the plaza is still under-construction. Despite the fact that the parking plaza has crossed its deadline, development work could not pick momentum. Sources in TEPA revealed that entire machinery with manpower was engaged in the work of razing out illegal structures built in violation of building bylaws and approved map on the instruction of the Supreme Court. The scope of the work was so enormous that officials concerned did not have even a second to consume for other development works, they maintained and added that the demolition operation had impaired the parking plaza project that had to ease parking problem in the City. The TEPA and LDA have been working on parking plaza, spreading over an area of 3 kanal and 16 marla for providing parking facilities to more than 460 vehicles in the busy commercial centre of Liberty Market, Gulberg. Shops will be constructed in the basement along with ground and first floors. Rest of the storeys are allocated for parking 206 vehicles. The map of the building has been designed keeping in mind the need to construct more storeys if required. To facilitate the citizens, a restaurant at the first floor and two capsule-lifts are also part of the initial design. Safety and security of people is of paramount importance so the design includes open stairwells and ramps, security devices such as road blockers, car scanners, CCTV, public address system, fire alarm and fire fighting and audio and emergency buttons have also been arranged. Handicap accessibility has been facilitated with vehicles close to stairs and elevator cores having a direct path to key movement patterns of the garage. It may be recalled that TEPA will also construct another parking plaza at a cost of Rs559million close to the petrol pump at Liberty. This five-storey building will accommodate 253 vehicles. Two basements and ground floors will be used for parking whereas commercial offices will be established on the upper two floors. It will also be equipped with latest facilities as will be provided in the first parking plaza.