BMC to RTO, Traffic Police: Cancel registration of illegally parked buses

The civic body has been acting strictly against buses parking illegally, citing they occupy a lot of space and cause congestion. Currently, the civic body fines bus owners ₹15,000 for the first offence.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to push for strict action against private buses that repeatedly park illegally. The civic body plans to write to the Mumbai Traffic Police and Regional Transport Office (RTO) stating that registration of such buses should be cancelled using provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act.

The BMC expressed its intention to crack down on those who repeatedly park illegally, in a recent circular. Image used for representational purpose only. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT)

The BMC expressed its intention to crack down on those who repeatedly park illegally, in a recent circular.

The civic body has been acting strictly against buses parking illegally, citing they occupy a lot of space and cause congestion. Currently, the civic body fines bus owners ₹15,000 for the first offence.

“We have now decided that we will write to the RTO and Mumbai Traffic Police to cancel the registration of those private buses which are found to be repeat offenders. We are also planning to take strict action against those who park illegally in a 50-metre radius of public bus stops,” said a BMC official.

Currently, there are 26 functional public parking lots (PPL) in the city that were constructed by private builders in lieu of additional construction rights by the BMC. Along with this, the BMC has also tied up with the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) to provide 26 bus depots for parking of private vehicles, including buses, during off-peak hours.

A month ago, the BMC started levying fines up to ₹23,000 for parking in the 500-metre radius of PPLs. Bus owners, however, are unhappy with the BMC’s plans and want the civic body to first focus on the illegal private buses plying in the city.

“The government should first ensure these vehicles don’t ply on roads. Once this is implemented, around 30,000-40,000 buses, including small vans, will be removed and the parking issue of private buses will be solved automatically,” said Anil Garg, a member of the Mumbai Bus Owners Association.