Park your vehicle in parking lots or pay fine: BMC

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has passed a new order to encourage use of public transport and municipal parking lots. As per the new order, BMC decided to impose a fine of upto Rs 10,000 for unauthorised parking from July 7, of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers including trucks and buses.

The BMC has decided to impose the penalty not only on no parking zones but areas within one-kilometer radius of municipal parking lots and at junctions where two major roads meet, under the civic authority jurisdiction. To make citizen aware of this rule BMC will put hoardings and signages in public areas. According to BMC, it has a total of 146 municipal parking lots across the city and they can accommodate around 30,000 four wheelers and 4,000 two wheelers.

Praveen Pardeshi, BMC chief has ordered all the wards under it to appoint contractors for collecting fines, he suggested to appoint ex-servicemen for the job for strict implementation of the rule. He said, “It is observed that people argue with the contractors for paying fines. The ex-servicemen can see that the rules are strictly followed.”

Speaking about the resistance by citizens regarding the imposed fines and penalties, Pardeshi said, “Parking vehicles in unauthorised areas is encroachment. The penalty is not only for unauthorised parking but also for encroachment and using public land. If BMC could demolish poor people’s huts as encroachment for widening nullahs, can we not tow vehicles and fine them for traffic management?” Vijay Singhal, Additional Municipal Commissioner, BMC said, “People can use their private vehicles but should park them in parking lots provided by the BMC.”