For every 3 cars, just 1 parking slot in Mumbai

Around 2.2 lakh privately-owned vehicles have no parking space in the city.

Every day, three cars slug it out for one parking slot in Mumbai, and the situation will only get worse, as the civic body’s study of Mumbai’s mobility shows the demand for space, both on the roads and off it, will only rise.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) has found there is only one parking slot for every 2.57 cars on an average. This means, around 2.2 lakh privately-owned vehicles have no parking space in the city. The demand for this space, called equivalent car parking space (ECPS), is estimated to rise to 5.38 lakh by 2034.

In just seven years, the city has seen an 8.5% rise in the number of cars, the study by the BMC-appointed consultant Lee Associates South Asia said. Every day, 825 new vehicles are registered.

To make space for parking, the study suggests creating a parking cell and charging for parking on roads. Experts say there is a need to mark parking zones, charge for parking and to determine these rates based on demand.

“The first principle is to make it clear that parking is a privilege for vehicle owners, not their right. You have to pay for parking your vehicle on roads meant for pedestrians. There has to be a serious thought process set to regulate haphazard parking in the city,” a transport expert, said, not wishing to be named.

While the BMC had introduced a parking policy in 2013, it has been in limbo for the past two years owing to backlash from political parties and citizens.

Under the policy, which was to be tested in the A-ward (Fort area) on a pilot basis, parking charges were increased depending on the demand in an area. It also enforced a fine for illegal street parking. A senior civic official from the roads and traffic department of the civic body said, “We have recently conducted a hearing for the policy in the A ward and the observations will be sent to the state, which will take a final call.”