Citizens say new vehicle policy is a ‘bitter pill’

At a stakeholders’ meet, they insisted that public transport must be strengthened and adequate parking spaces created before implementing the plan

MUMBAI: A ‘shocker difficult to swallow’ is how some stakeholders are describing the new policy on vehicular mobility being considered by the state. After tossing the ideas of making a parking certificate a mandatory requirement to register a new vehicle, and selectively levying a congestion tax, the state held its first meeting with various stakeholders to discuss the proposed plan. The message that came back, loud and clear, was: first, strengthen the public transport system and create adequate parking space.

A car Parking at Bhulabhai Desai Road, in Mumbai (REPRESENTATIVE PICTURE) (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

Also discussed were heavy tolls, restriction on the number of vehicles per family, and restrictions on the types of vehicles that can enter congested cities.

At the meeting on Friday, additional chief secretary Sanjay Sethi of the transport department deliberated with town planners, social study groups, car owners/manufactures, parking management operators, bus operators, transporters, among others. The presentation was prepared by Crisil.

Most stakeholders said it would be premature to implement the policy without proper parking arrangements and strengthening the public transport system. A social study group pointed out that the policy must be adequately publicised or else it would be a shocker.

School bus operators highlighted high parking charges, while a representative of a citizens’ groups drew attention to poor infrastructure.

Bal Malkit Singh, former president of the All India Motor Transport Congress suggested that the defunct octroi checkposts at Mankhurd, Mulund and Dahisar be converted into integrated truck terminals. “We have been demanded parking bays, godowns, offices, garages, fuelling/EV charging stations etc. Goods transported from outside the city could be stored at these facilities before being transported to outlets and consumers in the city. Our suggestion was well received by the transport department,” he said.

The transport department has also proposed restricting the entry of goods vehicles in congested cities as heavy vehicles contribute significantly to pollution. In Mumbai, for instance, air pollution has risen to worrying levels, forcing a rethink on transport policies.

“The government is planning rented, shared and dedicated parking spaces in the city. We are also considering using malls and parking lots for parking at night as part of rented parking spaces,” said an official from the transport department.

The officer said that apart from the over 350-km metro network in MMR, other mass transportation modes like water transport connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, and Raigad and Ratnagiri, would strengthen transport infrastructure.

Nitin Dossa, chairperson, Western India Automobile Association, opposed the proposed congestion tax. “Around 45% of the price of a car relates to taxes levied by the government, and any new tax is not expected. The government should first ensure that their public transport is robust and have ample parking space in the city. The government had planned a multi-storey parking building next to Vidhan Bhavan but instead a theatre came up there. We are not against decongestion or measures to reduce congestion, but these cannot be the measures for it,” he said.

Sanjay Sethi, additional chief secretary, transport department, said, “We are currently studying data on the availability of parking lots and identifying demand, to determining steps such as strengthening the mass transit system and addressing the gap in parking space. We are analyzing data and gathering additional information, which will help us shape the policy in the coming months.”