The civic body has come up with a unique plan to put an end to parking woes in Mumbai. In a city starved of space and where the number of vehicles registered saw a 90 per cent increase in the last decade, the BMC proposes to demarcate street space for parking vehicles.
If the proposal goes through, certain stretches, especially in the congested areas of South Mumbai, will be reserved for parking vehicles. Owners will have to pay to reserve the space outside their buildings. One family will be allowed to reserve space for only one car. Outsiders won’t be allowed to park there.
“Residents find inadequate space for parking in their buildings and so, they park vehicles on roads outside their societies. At present, even an outsider can park vehicles there. So, the idea is to restrict the use of the slots to residents of a particular housing society or area,” said additional municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta. “Charges will be finalised over a period of time, but they will be on the higher side.”
BMC officials discussed the idea during a meeting with the traffic department on Tuesday. The proposal is at a nascent stage, but the BMC hopes to offer the first street slots for parking on May 1.
The civic body is contemplating making the system Internet-based with residents booking parking slots online and being provided with e-receipts.
Mahendra Hemdev, a resident of ‘D’ Road at Churchgate, said the BMC should ensure that ‘outsiders’ don’t grab reserved slots for parking. “A few years ago, a similar plan was implemented at ‘D’ Road. But the congestion during peak hours was such that we had to stage a rasta roko on Marine Drive. The BMC should ensure such things don’t happen. Also, double parking should not be allowed,” he said._
