Sting op exposes agency overcharging for parking in Kala Ghoda

BMC penalizes parking agency near Jehangir Art Gallery ₹15,000 for overcharging and violations; a complaint filed against staff after sting operation.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a show cause notice and imposed a penalty of ₹15,000 on an agency managing the pay-and-park facility near Jehangir Art Gallery in Kala Ghoda. The civic body has also filed a complaint against the staff at the parking lot and started the process of blacklisting the agency after a sting operation revealed that motorists were being charged more than double the approved fee.

Representative image (Hindustan Times)

The agency was awarded the contract for managing the parking facility in BMC’s A ward, which has the capacity to accommodate 100 four-wheelers and 45 two-wheelers. The approved parking fee was ₹70 per hour for four-wheelers and ₹20 per hour for two-wheelers.

After the BMC received complaints that the agency was overcharging motorists, a sting operation was planned and executed under the guidance of deputy commissioner Sangeeta Hasnale. The operation was led by assistant commissioner Jaydeep More and officials from other departments were roped in as motorists. When the officials went to park their cars in the facility, they were charged ₹150 per hour. They observed that the agency had covered the “No Parking” signs and vehicles were being parked in restricted areas. The staff were also not wearing uniforms or carrying official ID cards.

Accordingly, on May 9, the civic body issued a show cause notice to the agency and imposed fines of ₹10,000 for overcharging motorists, ₹4,000 for parking in “no parking” zones, and ₹1,000 for staff for not wearing uniforms or carrying ID cards. A written complaint was also filed by the BMC at the Mata Ramabai Marg police station, based on which the agency’s staff were booked by the police.