LUCKNOW, Feb. 16 -- Hotels, banquet halls and restaurants across Lucknow are allegedly operating without adequate parking facilities, forcing vehicles onto main roads and footpaths in violation of building norms. The practice has created daily bottlenecks in key commercial zones as establishments push the parking burden onto public spaces. A ground inspection by HT on Saturday and Sunday revealed that several properties either never developed parking spaces shown in sanctioned maps or converted them into additional commercial units for profit. During weddings and weekend events, vehicles line up for long stretches outside these venues, leaving little room for smooth traffic flow. In Viraj Khand near the Hahnemann intersection, multiple commercial establishments allegedly function without sufficient parking. Visitors park along the main road, causing frequent bottlenecks during evening peak hours. In several cases, parking areas approved on paper no longer exist on site. The situation mirrors itself in Vibhuti Khand, where two prominent hotels on the main road near a petrol pump operate without visible parking facilities. Guests park vehicles roadside, reducing carriageway width and slowing traffic. Similar violations surfaced near the Powerhouse intersection in Ashiana and in the Rana Pratap area. Despite cranes operating daily from 9 am to 9 pm to tow wrongly parked vehicles, enforcement has failed to bring lasting relief. Divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant told HT that authorities will not tolerate violations of parking norms. All establishments, whether new or under construction, must strictly adhere to building bylaws and provide sufficient parking within their premises, he said. He asked for details of establishments violating norms and assured that he would seek a report and initiate action through the Lucknow Development Authority. LDA chief town planner KK Gautam clarified that while standalone restaurants are not required to provide dedicated parking under current byelaws, hotels must arrange parking space proportionate to the number of rooms. In group housing projects, developers must reserve 10% of the area for visitor parking. Urban planning experts point out that compounding minor deviations does not permit complete neglect of mandatory parking provisions. Once parking areas are converted for commercial gain, authorities must intervene and restore compliance to prevent public inconvenience. DCP (traffic) Kamlesh Dixit said major commercial establishments allegedly violated parking norms by failing to build mandatory parking on their premises, forcing visitors to park on main roads and worsening congestion. Even newly constructed buildings lack proper parking facilities, he added. Dixit said the concerned department must conduct ground checks during construction and ensure compliance with sanctioned plans before granting approvals to prevent traffic disruption....