Colaba residents clash with traffic police over pay-n-park

Colaba residents say it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate the parking chaos in the neighbourhood. At the heart of the problem, they say, are corrupt pay-n-park attendants, who appear to have unchecked control over the system.

MUMBAI: Mehroo Kotval, a senior citizen from Colaba, moved to the Dadar Parsi Colony late last year due to a persistent parking problem in her neighbourhood. Kotval shifted from her home of 47 years near Cusrow Baug in Colaba, choosing to no longer be a victim of the pay-n-park mafia and arbitrary fines from traffic constables.

Residents say the pay-n-park attendants keep bunches of keys with them and double-park vehicles for those willing to pay a price. (Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times)

Kotval says she coughed up fines totalling ₹4,500 for alleged parking violations on three occasions. “The parking issue was one of my major reasons for getting out. There are two taxi unions and there is no chance in hell to get a parking spot in Colaba any longer. I have excellent neighbours in the Parsi colony and I also have stack parking,” she says.

Just like Kotval, other Colaba residents say it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate the parking chaos in the neighbourhood. At the heart of the problem, they say, are corrupt pay-n-park attendants, who appear to have unchecked control over the system.

Locals claim that traffic constables fine them ₹1,500 for parking in legitimate spaces, while also denying them parking spots. They ignore double-parking in the smaller lanes managed by parking attendants. No street in Colaba is spared, residents say.

In a letter dated December 18, 2024, to Anil Kumbhare, joint commissioner (traffic), Subhash Motwani, president of the Clean Heritage Colaba Residents’ Association (CHCRA), said, “Even vehicles of residents that are parked legally are unfairly penalised with a fine of ₹1,500 per car. Meanwhile, illegal taxis that block residential parking spots for days, along with double-parked vehicles by pay-n-park attendants, are overlooked by local traffic constables and the Colaba traffic department. This happens even during severe traffic jams and emergencies when ambulances, the fire brigade, or other emergency vehicles need to pass, putting lives at risk and allowing these irregularities to persist.”

Residents say the pay-n-park attendants keep bunches of keys with them and double-park vehicles for those willing to pay a price. They claim traffic constables are constantly clicking pictures of vehicles parked even in designated parking slots to meet their monthly targets but ignore vehicles double-parked by the pay-n-park attendants. They also point out that the pay-n-park attendants allow vehicles to enter one-way streets, adding to the traffic chaos in the neighbourhood.

Pervez Cooper, vice-president, CHCRA, says the parking mafia extends from Mandalik Road to Merryweather Road, continuing behind the Taj Mahal Hotel and up to the end of Arthur Bunder Road. “The Colaba police station, just 100 metres away, is aware of the situation. My son, who was visiting from Sydney, was fined ₹1,500 just because he got out of his car on the main road. The officer then negotiated a settlement for ₹500 and let him go. However, the parking attendants, who are illegally engaged in double-parking, face no consequences,” Cooper alleges.

Anil Kumbhare, joint commissioner (traffic), was unavailable for comment but an officer from the Colaba traffic division, says residents are not blameless. “Whenever residents are fined, they often have a litany of complaints. The crackdown on double-parking and other violations is ongoing. On any given day, we take action against 400-500 people, with 300 actions focused on footpath parking and towing alone. In short, whenever residents violate rules and are fined, the educated elite quickly reacts and tries to avoid the challan. They often send photos taken from their windows to keep us on edge. The mindset of the residents here is different—they don’t want to be penalized for violations. But how can we do our job? We do not want to constantly go against local residents.”

The traffic police say maintaining traffic discipline is increasingly difficult. “The Gateway of India area is not just any location—it’s a major tourist destination. The high volume of visitors the nearby Taj Mahal Hotel compounds the parking problem. With more cars arriving, the challenge is that we have limited parking space and inadequate manpower. There may be space for 500 vehicles, but when 1,000 cars show up, there’s nowhere for them to park. They end up parking in nearby lanes. The traffic department is sincere, and there is no wrongdoing. We are strictly enforcing actions and fines against genuine violators,” said the officer with the traffic police.